


Of Empires and Gods

by rmwolf



Category: OEAG
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-18 16:53:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21580888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rmwolf/pseuds/rmwolf
Summary: Of Empires and Gods is a queer epic fantasy that follows a young Empress by the name of Li Vyk that has found herself at odds with sinister mages and bickering Gods. Along with her sworn protector, Sen Ri, and many other powerful allies, Li begins to uncover dangerous and ancient secrets concerning not only the Gods, but herself as well.*All chapters are a WORK IN PROGRESS. Draft one of many.*





	1. Chapter 1

Li had had entirely too much wine that night. Much of her vision was blurred and no matter how many times she reread the script Ela had written out for her, nothing about it wanted to stick. The words almost seemed to stick in her throat like a mixture old honey and thick lyeberry syrup whenever she spoke them aloud. If she couldn’t even speak them alone, how was she supposed to say them to thousands of people without choking and making a fool of herself? It took every ounce of restraint not to crumple the paper into her fist and throw it across the room.

Li clumsily poured herself another cup of wine, unsure why she even bothered with a cup to begin with. She swallowed the contents in one quick gulp and slammed it down onto the table, somehow knocking it over in the process and spilling whatever bright red liquid remained. Tomorrow she would have to tell thousands of strangers their Empress was dead… that her _mother_ was dead… and she would have to reassure them at the same time that the Empire would remain strong under her leadership. Li scoffed at the thought. 

_I am nothing but a child._

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror nearby. Tired, wide-eyed, and on the verge of tears, all to be amplified in the morning when the wine finally wore off. She looked just like her mother, she thought, just a bit more of a wreck at the moment, but the similarities were still there. The thick, curly hair, the emerald eyes against a dark complexion. Even her ears were curved in the same delicate way, nearly hidden by her curls unless styled just so. But she still looked far too young, far too innocent, she thought, to be sitting on a throne leading an Empire. Maybe once she was dressed properly it would all come together, but she had a hard time picturing it in her current state of mind.

A timid knock on the door pulled her gaze away from the mirror. At that hour, it was either Ela coming to check on her or one of her handmaidens doing the same. She prayed it was the latter.

“Come in.” Li said, forcing herself to sit in a chair next to the table so whoever it was wouldn’t see her swaying drunkenly. She carefully picked the cup up and set it upright, debating if she wanted to pour another before quickly deciding against it.

“I hope I’m not interrupting, Eit Vyk. I just wanted to see if you needed anything before I retired for the night.”

Li was surprised to discover that it was neither Ela nor one of her handmaidens, but one of the younger council initiates, Weyra. She was both relieved and troubled by the sound of her voice.

“Did Ela send you to make sure I wasn’t up to no good in here?” Li teased, running her finger around the edge of her wine cup.

Weyra chuckled softly in response. “Ela is too busy fretting over tomorrow’s address. I don’t think any of us will be getting much sleep tonight, but she did insist that I try.”

Li watched in the corner of her eye as Weyra took a few timid steps towards her. “You’re certainly right about that. Ela will have her work cut out in the morning trying to make me look halfway presentable.”

“You’re not the only one that’s been drinking tonight, don’t worry.” Weyra reassured. “This is a very stressful time for all of us. That’s why I decided to come see if you were doing alright.”

Li shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose I have to be. Not like I have much choice anymore.” She quickly realized how cruel she sounded and sighed. “You have an act for showing up when I’m moody, don’t you? That time in the garden, after my mother and I had gotten into some petty argument… there you were. And here you are now after I’ve made a fool of myself by drinking too much. Do you come around just to knock sense into me?”

Weyra made her way over and took a seat across from Li, her eyes looking rather tired but free from any sort of intoxication. “I’d be more than happy to knock some sense into you if you needed it, but I don't think you do. What you’re going through is perfectly valid. I’m just here to offer support. If you need it, of course. I certainly won’t be offended if you send me away.”

Li shook her head and tried to form some kind of response but nothing was really coming to her. She gave up and poured both of them a small amount of wine. Weyra smiled gently and took a small sip while keeping her eyes on Li.

“It’ll take time, but you’ll adjust.” Weyra said calmly. “This is all just temporary chaos. An unexpected change of plans. But you’re the one with the reigns now and you can decide where it all goes from here. My advice?” Weyra paused to take another sip of wine. “Don’t let your advisors fill your head with _their_ wants and wishes. Let them guide you, but don’t forget you’re the one in charge.”

Li sat back in her chair as she listened to Weyra. “I swear you give better advice than my own advisors.”

Weyra blushed slightly and shook her head. “Honestly? Friends often give the best advice. Advice out of love and respect is sometimes more valuable and honest than advice from someone whose job it is to give you advice.”

“I suppose you’re right about that.” Li said with a subtle purse of her lips. “Friends certainly have their benefits.”

“More than you realize.” Weyra grinned, finishing her cup of wine and setting it down carefully in front of her. “I should really try and get some sleep, though. You should as well. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

Li nodded reluctantly and watched as Weyra stood to leave. There was some hesitation in her doing so, but eventually she gave a polite nod of her head, only managing to take one step before Li reached out and took her arm gently to stop her from leaving. Slowly, and with that grin Li always teased her about wearing constantly, Weyra bent down and planted a soft kiss on Li’s cheek rather closely to her lips.

“You’ll only make it more difficult for yourself.” Weyra muttered, her lips dangerously close to Li’s.

“I disagree. Things really can’t be anymore difficult than they already are.”

And with that, she kissed Weyra softly on the lips, feeling as the other woman’s cheeks warmed quickly against hers. Weyra lingered for a moment afterwards before kissing back much more deeply, only to break away moments later, much to Li’s disappointment. She loosened her grip on Weyra’s arm, letting her fingers drift down the cool fabric of her sleeve.

“I know you’re just looking for a distraction.” Weyra said, biting her lip. “But right now is not the time.”

Weyra touched affectionately at Li’s face and smiled before saying goodnight and excusing herself, the sound of the door shutting leaving a rather heavy feeling in Li’s chest. She was right, of course, but that didn’t stop Li from wanting to knock everything off the table in front of her out of spite, as immature and irrational as that might have been. 

With a frustrated sigh, Li picked up the sheet of paper Ela had given her earlier that night to rehearse. The words all seemed to run together, but she did her best to focus and memorize each word, no matter how bitter they tasted as she read them aloud to herself.

“ _It is with great sorrow that I must inform you that Empress Qri Vyk has died…_ and I am the anxious mess that’s supposed to fill her shoes. Gods help us.”

* * *

Li forced herself to keep reading over the speech well into the night, until her eyes were too heavy to keep open and she found herself dozing on and off. She was fairly certain she saw the first signs of morning before finally collapsing into bed, only to be woken a few hours later by one of her handmaidens. She could smell tea and some sort of sweet pastry, both of which made her sick to her stomach. It wasn’t until she heard Ela’s voice that she finally sat up in bed, her eyes red from her night of drinking and plenty of crying.

Ela sighed deeply when she caught sight of her. “Oh, you poor thing. Weyra warned me that I’d have my hands full with you this morning. No matter, I was somewhat expecting it even before she said a word to me.” Ela motioned for Li to get up. “Come on, dear. Let’s get you sorted out. We don’t have all day, unfortunately. The sooner we get this over with, the better.”

Li reluctantly pushed herself up and out of bed, allowing her handmaiden to help her undress for a cool bath. The address would be at noon sharp, so they didn't have much time. Ela and another handmaiden took to laying out the items Li would wear, which included a high collared black gown with gold metal accents and a lightweight cloak to match as well as a handful of rings, collar adornments and earrings. Once she was finished bathing, she went to choosing which particular accessories she wanted to wear, opting for simple rings of her mothers and a collar chain which included small golden antlers, a sacred symbol of Vai Kro as well as the Empire. Ela made sure to compliment her choices and stood by as Li’s handmaidens helped her dress and fix her hair just so.

When she managed to catch her reflection in the mirror, she almost didn’t recognize herself. Never in her life had she worn a gown so elegant and striking, her taste normally less refined and more comfortable, the idea of attracting too much attention to herself rather anxiety-inducing. Now all eyes would be on her no matter how hard she tried otherwise.

“Do you like the gown, Li-kro?” Ela asked, her expression rather focused and serious.

“It’s stunning. The metal accents are a nice touch.” Li turned her shoulder slightly to get a better look at the plating decorated with finely detailed vines and antlers.

“I think it’s important to show a bit of strength as well as elegance. At least, that's what Sirin always told me.” Ela watched as a handmaiden carefully pinned the cloak to the metal plating on Li’s gown. “I tried to keep your speech as concise as possible. You’ll address the public concerning your mother’s death and that she named you sole heir to the throne, assure your allies that all agreements are to remain the same despite the shift in leadership, and then your lead advisor will present the documents proving your rights to the throne. At most, you’ll be up on the platform for fifteen minutes. We’ll make sure the guard escorts you promptly.”

“How many Eit Gyen will be there?” Li asked.

“All thirty-six of them. We cannot afford anything happening to you while you’re up there.”

“And I suppose Garro will be glued to my hip as usual?”

“Of course. Though, if it brings you any sense of comfort, I did speak to Eron a few days ago concerning a new Eit Kro.”

Li perked up slightly. “What do you mean?”

“I was planning on discussing this with you after the address, but I had Eron send a recruitment officer out last week to look for potential replacements. I know you’re not particularly fond of Garro and it is not unusual for an Eit Kro to be replaced when a new monarch takes the throne, so I thought I would start preparations just in case you decided that was something you were interested in. We can discuss it in more detail once we’re finished with the address. Right now that must remain our priority.”

“Of course.”

Li felt some weight lifting off of her shoulders. Why it hadn’t occurred to her that she could request a new Eit Kro was beyond her. She had had no say in selecting Garro and it still weighed heavily on her mind that he had failed in his duties to protect her mother. The fact that she would have the entire Eit Gyen protecting her at the address gave her more comfort than simply having Garro by her side and an Eit Kro that did not instill confidence and sound security was not doing their job properly.

Ela checked the time and promptly clapped her hands together which caused Li to snap upright. Apparently it was time for them to make their way from the main palace to the Jade Tower, a part of the palace where most important public addresses were held. It faced a wide open area of the city between the south market and the Path of Trees, a large fountain with a statue of an elk the centerpiece of the area. If there were no important events being held, children would sometimes sit around the fountain and laugh and tell stories and feed the fish swimming around in the water. 

The Jade Tower itself was hardly used for anything. A rather large balcony which curved around the outside of the tower overlooked the square below, lush green ivy dangling from the short stone barrier and all along the walls of the tower. Inside, there were several rooms that served no particular purpose besides preparation areas for public addresses or just simple waiting rooms for those not currently needed out on the balcony. Li always remembered running up to the very top of the tower and attempting to convince the guard at the roof access door to let her through, which he never did, even if she did ramble on about being the Empress’s daughter. He never seemed to care and continually shooed her away like a pestering fly.

Garro and the Sekyn Kro, Lon Se, stood waiting downstairs with a handful of other Eit Gyen. Lon was what would be considered “second in command”, often called upon to protect the Empress if Garro was needed elsewhere or if he were to become injured or ill. Li did not know much about Lon; her mother had hardly ever needed his assistance. He was an older man with sleepy eyes and long dark hair peppered with gray, his short beard turning a smidge gray as well. Li wondered if requesting a new Eit Kro meant acquiring a new Sekyn Kro as well. She guessed the man would be somewhat relieved to retire, given his age and apparent lack of interest. Both bowed when she entered the room, Garro much more deeply of course. Neither of them said a word, however.

“The rest of the Eit Gyen are waiting at the Jade Tower.” Eron remarked, striding in from a side room with his hand on his sword. He looked eager to get the show on the road. “I made sure that they are all in their best armor for the occasion, Eit Vyk.”

Li nodded in the man’s direction, unsure of what to say in response but wanting to acknowledge his presence as well as his assistance. She then noticed the shining armor the guards were wearing; freshly polished obsidian plating and dark cloaks with Vai Kro’s sacred symbol stitched in gold thread, their helms held at their sides and swords sheathed in ornate scabbards Li had never seen until that day. She had to admit they looked very elegant as well as intimidating.

Ela placed a hand gently on Li’s shoulder to urge her along. It wasn’t a terribly long walk to the Jade Tower, but they were beginning to run short on time and the last thing any of them wanted was to keep the people waiting in the afternoon sun. 

As they walked through the palace halls, Li couldn’t help but notice something in the waist of her gown. Eventually she managed to locate a small pocket with the tiniest dagger hidden inside. She shot Ela a look of surprise, the woman shushing her silently before focusing her eyes ahead, the sound of metal, chainmail and belts all brushing together as they walked silently. She hoped there would be no need for the dagger, but it did comfort her knowing it was there.

Once they were at the Jade Tower, a muffled commotion outside could be heard. Dalos and Ryn stood waiting, their arms full of various documents, which Li was sure were the ones proving her claim to the throne, though she had never actually laid eyes on them herself. Ela stopped her just shy of the double doors leading out to the balcony, Garro and Lon a bit restless beside her.

“Do not forget the names of the ambassadors, Li-kro.” Ela fretted.

Li gave a subtle roll of her eyes. “Ikon of Tayos. Niria of Kri. Lorian of Drakso.”

“Good, good. Now, don't look so nervous. You've been on the balcony before with your mother, you know how well expressions can be read from below. You won't be able to hide.”

Ela telling her not to be nervous seemed to be having the opposite effect and Li could feel her palms begin to sweat and a tightness form in the middle of her throat. The snug collar around her neck did not help matters either. She desperately wanted to pull at it in an attempt to loosen it but feared Ela’s wrath is she moved a muscle.

Finally, Li took a deep breath and moved towards the large wooden doors in front of her. Garro and Lon promptly pulled them open for her, the glaring sun causing her to squint almost immediately. A hush fell across the crowd gathered below her, the guards on the balcony all bowing in perfect unison and remaining in their position until Li stepped forward into the sunlight.

She could tell the crowd below was confused. She could hear soft muttering and some even turned to whisper to one another, eyeing her suspiciously. Perhaps they had been expecting to see her mother, as silly as Li felt assuming otherwise. She would have to improvise a little to hopefully calm their nerves, so she tried her best to push all other thoughts besides her speech out of her head, straightening her posture as much as possible.

“I know many of you were expecting to see my mother standing here today.” Li began. “But it is with great sorrow that I must inform you that your Empress, Qri Vyk, has died.” 

A chorus of gasps and muffled cries rang out from the crowd, the soldiers below quick to quiet them. Li was quickly forgetting the speech Ela had written for her, the heartbroken and mortified faces in front of her almost too much for her to bear. She did not want to treat them coldly for the sake of following a script. They deserved better than that. 

“I know you all loved my mother very much. And I know you must be very troubled hearing this news.”

Dalos subtly leaned in towards Ela. “What is she doing? This isn't the speech you wrote.”

Ela quickly hushed him. “She sees how upset they are. She's improvising. Let her.”

“You might also be wondering where my father, Mey Vyk, is today.” Li continued, trying her best to return to the script. “I cannot with certainty say that I, or my council, know of his whereabouts. This is an ongoing investigation, one we will be sure to follow through with until he is found. However, because of Mey Vyk’s unknown whereabouts, there will be no vote to determine Qri Vyk’s successor to the throne. As written in her official documents, I, Li Vyk, first and only child of Qri and Mey Vyk, am named sole heir to the throne of the Rkyn Empire.”

Li watched as a strange sort or relief washed over the mournful faces below her. Though it was not customary for those attending public addresses to bow or kneel, she watched as one person after another knelt on one knee and bowed their head in respect. Her guard knelt as well, which took her by surprise and left an odd mix of excitement and fear in her chest. 

For the first time, she truly realized how much weight being named “Empress” carried.

As Li continued her speech, making sure to address her three ambassadors by name, a hooded figure lurked near the back of the crowd, listening carefully and swearing quietly under their breath. Just before the speech was to be concluded and the Empress whisked away by her guard, the hooded figure quickly and as discreetly as possible left the crowded square below the Jade Tower and made their way to a much more secluded area, overhearing fragments of conversations about how relieved they were that Mey Vyk was not even a contender for Emperor.

The figure stepped into a narrow alleyway, grimacing at the spiders scurrying about under their feet. Once they were sure they wouldn't be spotted, they pulled out a sheet of sturdy Arwood paper and scribbled away a letter, rolling it as tightly as possible and tying it with a thick piece of twill. The figure looked around nervously before whistling a tune, a large raven appearing and landing on their arm, which the hooded figure tied the letter to and sent off again in one swift motion.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of heavy and hurried footsteps rushing up the stairs, coupled with panicked shouting, were enough to wake Li Vyk even from a deep sleep. She could hear the clanking of heavy armor as well and before she knew it, there was a loud pounding on her door.

“Eit Vyk!” She could hear from outside her room, the voice sharp and desperate. “Please, open the door immediately!”

Li could feel her heart pounding against her chest as she sat up in bed, confused and hesitant to move until another pounding knock jolted her into reality fully. Li scrambled out of bed to unlock her bedroom door. Her mother’s Eit Kro, her personal guard as well as the head of the Empire’s elite guard, Garro Mias, stood before her, his hair slick with sweat and his dark eyes in a wide panic. 

She had never seen him so overwhelmed with emotion in her life.

“What is it Eit Mias?” Li dared to ask, trying her best to ignore her racing heart and sweating palms. She held the edge of the door in a death-grip to keep herself from trembling.

Garro did not hesitate to answer. “Your mother is dead.” He said quickly, his breathing a tad labored.

The words struck Li like an arrow in the gut, the sensation almost enough to take her breath away. For a moment she wondered if she was still in a dream. “My mother? The Empress? Are you joking?” She knew full well he never kidded, but that did not seem to stop the words from coming out of her mouth.

“I do not joke, Eit Vyk. The Guard suspect she was assassinated. By who, we do not know. Nor do we know why. I am here to take you to the Vaeyn for safekeeping.”

Li peered over Garro’s shoulder and spotted a few more guards behind him watching the hall, their hands gripping the hilts of their swords, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

“Eit Vyk, we must go.”

“What about my father?” Li blurted out, ignoring him. “Where is he? Will he be coming with us?”

Garro shook his head, his expression growing more and more impatient. “We do not know where your father is at the moment. We can also not rule out the possibility of him as a suspect.”

The more Garro kept talking, the more it felt like Li was going to be sick, so she finally decided she would stop pressing for details until the shock wore off.  
“I just need a moment to change.”

Garro bowed his head in understanding and turned to face the others in the hall, barking some orders to them in a failed attempt at a hushed voice as Li shut the door and scrambled to find a change of clothes. 

Her mother… no. She could still hardly believe it. What would happen to the Empire? They were on the brink of war with Absuria, a vote for a new monarch would need to take place immediately or else they would see the Empire as vulnerable and strike. Perhaps Absuria was responsible for her mother’s death, even. There were countless possibilities and dozens of questions continued to pop into her mind. The council would surely meet at the Vaeyn and discuss what to do, so she tried her best to stop her mind from running through so many thoughts until she was at least out of danger.

Li tossed on some inconspicuous clothes, making sure to bring a dagger with her, carefully concealing it in a specially made belt. She had the Eit Gyen with her, of course, but she wanted to be prepared for anything. When she opened the door, she found Garro exactly where she had left him. He turned swiftly to face her.

“Are you ready?” He asked.

“Yes. Let’s go.”

Garro bowed his head again and ordered the guard to move out, Garro taking up the rear and keeping Li between himself and the other armored guards.

“Will there be a vote, Eit Mias?” Li glanced over her shoulder as they headed down the stairs, feeling as if the man would simply barrel into her he was walking so quickly.

“I do not know.” He sounded out of breath and tired of questions. “The council will be at the Vaeyn. But for now? You are acting as Empress until there is a vote. If there is to be one, that is.”

Li could feel the weight of the Empire falling on her shoulders almost physically, as if someone had thrown a bag of sand across her and the reality of the situation setting in certainly did not help the churning nervousness in her stomach. “I… I understand.”

As they rushed through the entry room of the palace, Li could see her family’s servants huddled together and discussing the events unfolding before them. A few of them were noticeably crying and Li recognized the ones crying as her mother’s personal handmaidens. They were surely troubled deeply by her mother’s sudden death. Her mother had always made sure to establish deep relationships with her handmaidens, treating them as if they were family and not simply servants. These would likely become her handmaidens soon and she regretted not spending enough time getting to know them while her mother was still alive.

Once outside, Li could see they would be traveling by horseback. Garro insisted on helping Li onto a horse, despite her being more than capable of doing it herself, before climbing onto his own nearby. He ordered the Eit Gyen to take the safest route to the Vaeyn rather than the quickest, which meant taking the main road through the forest, a well traveled path used by many to go to and from the city and towns on the outskirks. Actively trying to conceal themselves at that time would hardly do them any good as the Eit Gyen wore distinct, ornate armor unless told otherwise.

They exited the city in a flurry, taking the well traveled path through the lush woods leading to the Vaeyn. The Vaeyn was a sacred place just a few miles northwest of Rkynva Cik where Eit Kro would be initiated into the guard and the votes for a new monarch would be tallied. It was also a place that housed two immense libraries and a vault of magical artifacts and priceless religious texts. The Vaeyn would be heavily guarded and the safest place for them to be until they discovered the exact cause of her mother’s death.

They rode with incredible haste through the woods, the sound of dozens of sets of hooves pounding against the compacted dirt path, their horses beginning to pant the faster and farther they traveled. While the air around them that night was not particularly cool, they were riding so quickly that it thankfully did not feel as warm as it normally would at that time of year. A full moon glistened through the trees as well, a trusty guide through the night along with a few lanterns the guard carried as they rode.

Once they arrived safely at the Vaeyn, Li looked around for Ela Sol, her mother’s most trusted advisor who also happened to be one of Li’s closest friends, even despite their sizable age gap. Ela rushed to her as soon as they walked through the entrance of the Vaeyn.

“Li-kro, I am so glad you made it here safely.” She sighed in relief as she hugged her. “We are going to figure this out, don’t you worry.”

Li nodded and looked around the room, finding the rest of her mother’s council standing around anxiously. There was Dalos Wrath, lead advisor, and Ryn Faulk, another advisor that was similar in age to Ela. Dalos was much older and often bullheaded, but her mother kept him around so the council would have a good variety of opinions and viewpoints. Ryn and a few other lower members of the council quickly offered their condolences before giving Li her space again.

With so many people around her and the news of her mother’s sudden death still fresh on her mind, Li pulled Ela aside to talk with her privately. She could tell Garro was watching her cautiously, but respectfully kept his distance.

“My dear, I cannot imagine what you are feeling right now.” Ela whispered, hugging Li once again, then pulling away while keeping her hands tight on her shoulders. “I’m sure you have a million questions. There is only so much that I can answer right now, but I will do my best.”

There were certainly a million questions swirling around in her head, if not more, but Li managed to pluck at least one important one from the sea. “Eit Mias said I am acting Empress?”

“Yes, that is true.” Ela nodded. “Since your father is nowhere to be found, you are next in line for the throne. There will be a vote in three days and if your father is not found by then, you will automatically become Empress.”

Li sighed deeply and shut her eyes, hoping that it would keep the room from spinning so much. She could feel Ela’s grip on her shoulder tightening in an attempting to steady her.

“Do you need to sit?”

“No… I think I’ll be alright.” Li took a deep breath and opened her eyes. “Ela, I am barely twenty. I cannot lead an Empire that is on the brink of war.”

“Your mother trained you well for this, Li-kro. And she was nearly just as young as you when your grandfather passed away. I know this is a lot to take in all at once, but you do not have much of a choice, unfortunately. Unless your father returns and is proven innocent, of course…”

“We have no idea where he’s gone?” Li questioned, the corners of her lips twitching in discomfort as her stomach continued to knot up. Though she did not care that much for her father, she found herself anxious about his whereabouts—and for more than one reason.

“None at all. No one has seen him all night and he could not be found after Eit Mias discovered your mother’s body. The council will go over all of the details soon, don’t worry. The Vaeyn is the best place to be in this vulnerable moment.”

While Li knew Ela was right, all she really wanted was to be back at home, in bed, with none of these events rapidly unfolding before her. But she guessed this was her reality now. If her father never returned, late, sleepless nights and long days full of political discussions, talks of war and public addresses would be her new day-to-day. No more running off with friends and sneaking back into the palace late at night or riding off to a nearby town to drink and gamble instead of study. Of course her father would run off like a coward and leave her with the responsibility of an entire Empire. It was just like him.

“I think everyone is here now.” Ela said, pulling Li from her spiraling thoughts. “If you’re ready, we should meet in the council room.”

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” Li sighed, motioning for Ela to lead the way. She did her best to compose herself before turning to face the rest of the room.

Li followed her mother’s council and Garro upstairs to the large council room. One of the members casually warded the room against intruders and spies alike before joining the rest of the council at the dark wooden table positioned in the center of the room. Li took a seat at the head of the table, Dalos on her left and Garro on her right. It felt rather odd leading a council meeting when she had zero idea regarding any of the events that had happened that night. Her gaze quickly landed on Ela, who took that as a signal to take over before Dalos had a chance to.

Ela cleared her throat softly to get everyone’s attention. “If there are no objections, I will conduct tonight’s meeting, considering the circumstances. I believe it is best to first fill Eit Vyk in on the events that occurred tonight before moving forward.” The rest of the council nodded in agreement. Ela turned in her seat to face Li a bit better. There was a deep look of sorrow in her eyes, as if she knew the details that would soon come out of her mouth would be almost too much to hear all at once. Li bit roughly on the inside of her cheek to keep her emotions in check. “Eit Mias found your mother out in the garden. He reported that he had not seen or heard from her for quite some time that night and decided to check in on her. Knowing that she spent most of her time out in the garden this time of year, he went there first and found her there, a precise knife wound in her neck and a large pool of blood beneath her as if she had been there for some time. There did not appear to be any signs of a struggle. Much of her clothing was still in tact and there were no defensive marks anywhere on her body. It appeared to be a quick surprise attack.

“Eit Mias promptly searched the area and then proceeded to call the rest of the guard to aid in securing the palace. We attempted to locate your father but did not find any sign of him. We sent two riders out to hopefully locate him but have not heard back. We cannot rule him out as a suspect, unfortunately.”

Li could feel her emotions bubbling up inside of her. She did her best to keep them down, but she was sure nervous tears welled in her eyes. She could taste the faintest hint of blood in her mouth. “Is my father the only suspect?” She said, gripping her wrist tightly under the table to steady her shaking hands.

“No, my Empress,” Ela reassured. “Absuria are also suspects, as tensions between the Empire and the Absuri have been high as of late. We cannot rule out an assassination attempt from the enemy.”

“We did not find the murder weapon anywhere in the garden.” Garro chimed in. “I had the guard sweep the palace looking for any signs of intrusion, but we came up empty handed. Everything appeared in tact. None of the servants reported hearing or seeing anything out of the ordinary as well.”

That did not bode well, Li thought to herself. Her father appeared to be a prime suspect, considering his mysterious disappearance afterwards. Though they were not extremely close by any means, she could hardly fathom the idea of him running away without even saying a word to her about it. Even if he had done something wrong, he was the type of man to be filled with guilt almost immediately and beg for forgiveness. Li had overheard plenty of her father’s desperate pleas after coming home late at night and her mother’s heavy, impatient sighs as she listened to whatever excuses he could throw at her in one long breath. It was rather obvious that her parents did not love one another very much, but their marriage did not serve that sort of purpose.

“Due to your father’s absence,” Ela continued, “you will be acting Empress, Li-kro, until a vote can be held on Monva, which is... approximately three days from now. I nearly forgot the day at this time... Anyway, that is of course if your father returns or is found by then. If not, your mother has named you sole heir to the throne, which means no vote will be necessary for you to become Empress. The council has every ounce of faith in you, my dear, if that is to be the case.”

Everyone in the council nodded in agreement, even Dalos, which Li found a bit surprising. Garro, however, remained motionless and expressionless beside her, though she guessed that was normal behavior for an Eit Kro in the presence of their Empress and her council. Though Li did not have any previous qualms with the man, she did not look forward to having him tied to her hip from then on and it was somewhat frowned upon to constantly send an Eit Kro away for no real reason. She knew she would also need his protection—or rather, he would insist on providing his protection—especially during the next few weeks while investigations into her mother’s death took place. She could easily be the next target, after all.

“I believe the Vaeyn is the safest place for Li-kro and the council to reside in the meantime.” Ela said. “We will keep a few guards at the palace to continue their investigations there, while the rest will remain here and with the help of the Vaeyn Knights, keep watch over the Empress and her council. Jira Mkyn has offered us the upstairs west wing for the council to sleep in and the north wing for the guard. You may disperse particular rooms and beds to your liking.”

“If I may, Ela,” Garro remarked, “I would like a room next to Eit Vyk’s. If she were to need any assistance.”

“Of course. I would not expect otherwise.”

“I would also like to mention,” Dalos spoke up, his raspy voice tired and quickly growing impatient, “that the news of Qri Vyk’s death and Mey Vyk’s disappearance is to remain _top secret_ until we have more details, to avoid any kind of panic in the city. We also do not wish the Absuri to catch wind of this news, just in case they are in fact not responsible. They will certainly take advantage of the situation, even if they did not cause it. We must remember that tensions are high and only grow worse by the day.”

“Thank you for mentioning that, Dalos. The servants do not know about Mey’s disappearance, though it was difficult to keep the news of Qri’s death from them for long. They will remain at the palace until questioning is complete, but will be allowed to go home once that is finished. I believe it would create even more suspicion to keep them there any longer than necessary.”

“I trust them not to say a word.” Li added, speaking mainly to Ela and avoiding as much eye contact with the rest of the council as possible. “My mother’s handmaidens in particular… they would never betray her trust, even in death.”

“They are your handmaidens now, dear.” Ryn acknowledged softly from across the table.

“Then I trust they would never betray me either. I have known most of them almost my entire life.”

“Your mother always chose her servants carefully.” Ela remarked. “I do not believe they will give us any issues. Now… are there any questions? I think most of us are desperate to get as much sleep as we can before the sun rises.” Ela glanced around the table, but none of the council members appeared to have anything to add. “Good. Then the meeting is final for the night. We will reconvene in the morning and go over any preparations for Monva.”

Ela excused the council and they all bowed before making their way out of the room. Ela and Garro remained with Li, who remained seated, almost too overwhelmed to move. She stared blankly ahead until the sound of Ela’s repeated calls to her finally brought her out of her head.

“Will you be alright, dear?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” Li said with all honesty, leaning back in her chair and brushing a few loose strands of dark hair away from her face. She had only had enough time to tie a loose braid before leaving the palace.

“Is there anything I can do for you, my Empress?” Garro asked.

Li shook her head and tried to give him a reassuring smile. “I think I just need to be alone for a while. Ela, will you show me to my room? I doubt I will get any sleep, but I can try at least.”

“Of course. I’ll send for some tea as well. If you manage to sleep, don’t worry about how late you do. We need you well-rested, dear. I will wake you if there is important news.”

“Thank you.” Li said, finally managing to push herself up and out of her chair. Just as she was about to leave the room with Ela, she remembered something. She turned to face Garro. “You are excused for the night, Garro. Sleep well.”

Garro bowed. “My Empress.”

* * *

Ela knew she would not be able to sleep at all that night, especially with Dalos pestering her nearby, slurring his words from drink and lack of sleep. She urged him, on multiple occasions, to get some sleep and that he was making absolutely no sense, but the man only poured himself another drink and kept rambling. More to himself than anyone else, Ela had to note, as the night dragged on. Eventually she tuned him out completely and found a suitable distraction when the commander of the Eit Gyen, Eron Prel, arrived at the Vaeyn. He looked rather grim, or perhaps disappointed, and informed Ela that they had yet to discover anything new, but were questioning all of the servants again. Ela decided it was best for them to talk in the council room, away from Dalos and anyone else still awake.

“What does your gut say about all of this, Eron?” Ela asked, pouring the man a drink… and maybe a small one for herself as well. Gods knew she needed it, even if it was just to keep her awake a while longer.

“My gut says the Absuri are responsible.” Eron muttered. “Whether directly or indirectly, I am unsure.”

“Indirectly?” Ela inquired, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I am concerned that Mey Vyk is responsible in some way as well. No sign of forced entry, after all. And none of the servants heard a thing, or the guards. It had to have come from inside the palace. Perhaps he was influenced by the Absuri in some way.”

Ela sighed heavily and downed the rest of her drink. “Blackmail, perhaps?” Ela proposed. “Gods, I knew Mey was a degenerate of a man, but I never once thought him capable of regicide. Did he really think he would stand a chance against his own daughter in a vote? History has shown that the people rarely vote for the marital partner and lean more heavily towards the children, even if they are young.”

Eron shook his head, unsure about the entire situation. “I do not think he wanted the throne, nor do I think he was under the impression that he even stood a chance to win it from his daughter. I think Absuri spies likely had some sort of dirt on him and threatened to expose him if he did not agree to murder the Empress.”

“If that’s the case, he is likely on his way to Absuria as we speak. We should also look into uncovering whatever secrets Mey has been hiding.”

Eron shrugged. “The riders we sent out say none of the horses were missing from the stables. He could have traveled on foot, yes, but he wouldn’t have gotten very far. I had the guard question everyone within a three mile radius of the palace. No sign of him.”

“Unless an Absuri contact was waiting for him outside.” Ela suggested.

“Very likely.” Eron poured himself another drink and sighed. “This does not bode well. And I think there is something much deeper going on than we realize. That always seems to be the case with the Absuri. They have too much gold to know what to do with and powerful mages to keep it all safe. Their increasing slave trade with Eryia is proof of that.”

“Qri was so close to convincing Vallion to give it up.” Ela sighed. “She offered twice what Absuria was paying for the slaves.”

“And I’m sure the Absuri offered twice that in response and whatever else they could give on the side. Plus, Vallion knew the Empire would never use them as slaves, that they would be free here. The man loves gold, but he loves seeing his people suffer even more.”

Ela felt herself growing irritated. “Those… _dakri_ … are a problem. The Mu’vra are a problem. The entire Feyra College is a problem. We had a lot more mages on our side during the Black War, but now? It’s regular soldiers against battlemages and dark sorcery. And more powerful than it was back then, I’m sure. Jira even tells me… she tells me she has suspicions about their involvement with necromancy as well. What are we supposed to do about that?”

Eron poured himself yet another drink, cringing as he downed it one long gulp. “Like I said… there’s more than meets the eye here, Ela. A lot more. Mey might have wielded the blade that murdered our Empress, but he was not alone, I promise you that.”

The two sat in silence for a while, mulling over their discussion and the events of that night. The sun would rise in just a few hours and she hadn’t slept a wink. Eron looked like he hadn’t either.

“I should probably head back to the capital.” Eron grumbled as he slid the glass away from him and attempted to stand up.

“Before you go, Eron, I must ask your opinion on a matter.”

“Of course.” Eron sat back down, almost relieved that he wouldn’t have to leave quite yet.

“Garro Mias.”

“What about him?”

Ela tapped her fingers nervously again her empty glass. “Li will not tolerate him as Eit Kro, I am sure of it. At least, not for long. And are we sure he is qualified for such a position anymore? Given that he failed in his duties to protect the Empress. Do we really want him responsible for protecting Li, especially when she is currently the only direct heir to the throne?”

Eron heaved a long sigh. “You have a point. He was sworn to protect the Empress and he did not. That is certainly grounds for a new Eit Kro.”

“I’m glad you understand.” Ela breathed a sigh of relief, having doubted herself all night about it. “I couldn’t help but notice the strange looks she kept giving him tonight, as if he was standing too close to her or invading her personal space just by looking at her too long. I just… don’t think it would be wise to keep him as Eit Kro.”

“I understand, Ela. Would you like me to send a recruitment officer out in the morning?”

“Yes, that would be wonderful. Oh, and if you could specify that we would like as many women as possible. If they do not have any that are qualified, no worries, they can send whatever they have, but I do think Li would appreciate another woman’s company much more than a man’s.”

Eron couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. “I see. I’ll have an officer out first thing in the morning, don’t worry.”


	3. Chapter 3

The halls of Crow’s Castle were eerily quiet that morning. Kilisia Elon sat beside her father’s bed, watching as an Absuro servant helped him with his bowl of mushy breakfast, the smell of the bland, floury food causing her stomach to churn every so often. Her sister, Adasaa, paced nearby, anxiously picking at the sleeve of her robe while heaving short, impatient sighs periodically.

“You're sure the alchemist is on his way?” Adasaa asked, crossing and uncrossing her arms as if she wasn't sure what to do with her own limbs.

“I sent for him first thing this morning.” Kilisia said rather flippantly. “I do not know the man’s schedule. Perhaps he had other appointments.”

Adasaa looked taken aback. “Surely he would make time for the King. That is... that is just absurd otherwise. What happened to Crow’s Castle’s personal alchemist anyway?”

Kilisia heaved a sigh. “I told you this already. He was blinded by one of his experiments the other day. Foul timing, surely.” She rolled her eyes at the man’s unfortunate lack of competence.

“Then I guess finding a new alchemist should be on our ever-growing list of things to do.” Adasaa finally stopped pacing and went over to her father’s writing desk to jot down a note so she wouldn't forget. “And given Father’s worsening condition, we should probably have an extra healer around. Liyya can't exactly stay awake twenty-four-seven.”

“I wouldn't say he's... worsening. I mean look—he's eating breakfast just fine.”

Adasaa glanced over her shoulder just in time to see her father nodding off and the servant attempting to nudge him awake so she could finish helping him eat. “I think he's finished, Sehria, you can leave.”

The servant looked down at the nearly full bowl of colorless mush, then nodded and promptly left the room with it. Kilisia went to sit next to her father on the bed once she did, leaning close to him in an attempt to gauge his breathing.

“How does he sound?”

“His breathing is slow but he's tired. It doesn't sound any different than earlier, however. Still raspy.” Kilisia adjusted the wolf amulet around her father’s neck affectionately before returning to her chair. “He did eat quite a bit of his food. I wouldn't be too worried yet. Once he starts refusing to eat, that's when I'll start worrying.”

“I just wish that damned alchemist would hurry up...” Adasaa checked the time again, jumping noticeably when there was a sudden knock on the door. “Finally!”

Adasaa ran to open the door, annoyed to discover that it wasn't the alchemist, but a messenger.

“I have a letter for Kilisia.” He said. Adasaa could see him clutching a tightly rolled piece of Arwood paper that appeared significantly weathered, as if it had traveled some distance.

“Send him in.” Kilisia ordered, unconcerned with moving from her chair.

Adasaa made way for the messenger, peering into the hall behind him in hopes of spotting the alchemist as well. She shut the door in a huff when she didn't see anyone.

“You best bring me good news with this letter.” Kilisia teased, though still with a hint of all seriousness that caused the messenger to tense nervously. He handed her the letter, hand shaking ever so slightly. “Why are you shaking? Have you dared to read the contents of a letter unaddressed to you?”

“No, ausuri. I would never.”

Kilisia eyed him suspiciously as she broke the piece of twill holding the letter together. “Then relax.” She said, lowering her gaze to read the words written in front of her. “If you haven't read it, then there's no need for you to be so...” She stopped abruptly, a certain sort of anger quickly washing over her face that caused the messenger to take a tentative step backwards. 

Adasaa could sense the shift in the room and peered over at them. “What does it say?”

Kilisia did not answer her sister, instead rising suddenly from her chair and taking the messenger by the throat, his young voice crying out as she tightened her grip. “Who sent this letter? Tell me now before I leave you bleeding on the floor.”

The messenger writhed in pain, shaking his head and trying his best to tell her he did not know who sent the letter. Kilisia, unsatisfied with his answer, pulled a dagger from her belt and thrust it deep into his gut, twisting it once quickly before shoving him away from her. He fell to the floor clutching at his stomach in a futile attempt to stop the gushing blood. 

Adasaa gasped and went to aid him, Kilisia too enraged to bother stopping her. He would die soon enough anyway and Adasaa was certainly not an exceptional healer by any means.

“Kilisia! Why… why did you stab this poor boy?” Adasaa cried, pressing her hands firmly against the messenger’s wound. “Kilisia!”

“Wait here for the alchemist.” Kilisia snapped, flinging excess blood off her dagger before returning it to its sheath on her belt. “I must attend to matters elsewhere. And have Sehria clean up this mess immediately. We can’t have father’s room smelling even more of death.”

Adasaa watched as Kilisia stormed out of the room, right past the alchemist standing on the other side with his hand raised to knock on the door. Kilisia shoved past him, leaving him confused and mildly offended. Once he saw the scene she left behind in the room, he was even more so.

* * *

The Feyra College of Arcanology was as much a college of research and arcane practice as it was an elaborate place of worship to the Goddess of the Arcane, Fey Kro. Supposed twin of the God of Creation, Vai Kro, Fey Kro was credited with gifting the mortal world with magic. At least, that’s the version of the story many living in Absuria believed. In Rkyna, however, it was believed Fey Kro’s magic spilled into the mortal world on accident. Unintended or not, no one could deny the existence of magic and many practiced the art in one way or another in both Absuria and throughout the Empire.

While the Feyra Conclave of Mages consisted of prestigious scholars and mages alike, prone to outlandish experiments and pretentious debates, Kilisia’s newly formed Mu’vra were a much more sinister bunch, the mages classified as such given numerical ranks or tiers within the Mu’vra based on their skill and overall strength. Each mage that fell along the tiered system had a special keystone and an Eryian slave bound to them as well, acting as a focus in which the mage would channel spells and use as an extension of their own body in battle if needed. These dakri, as they were called, were often brainwashed and imbued with copious amounts of dangerous magic—magic that they were not born with—which often left them crazed and bloodthirsty as a side-effect.

Kilisia’s heavy steps rang through the halls of the college that morning as she made her way to the Mu’vra’s secluded wing on the top floor. She was not sure what mages to expect there at that hour, but she knew there would be at least one. When she threw open the doors, she was greeted by a sharp and hostile hissing from a large spotted cat which bared its teeth aggressively at her.

“Oh, stop that, Valiant.” A voice called out, the cat continuing to growl lowly.

Kilisia slammed the door behind her. “Are you the only one here, Lyyx’o?”

Lyyx’o F’tal lowered the book she was reading and gazed rather sleepily at Kilisia on the other side of the room. “Yes... why do you look like you just murdered someone?” She asked almost too nonchalantly, as if it was a common practice of Kilisia’s. Her large spotted cat, Valiant, hopped back up onto the couch she was sitting on and promptly sat next to her, mewling quietly under his breath in Kilisia’s direction. Lyyx’o peered down at him curiously, then back at Kilisia. “Did something happen?”

“Li Vyk is Empress.” She said, removing her outer robe and tossing it haphazardly onto a nearby desk.

Lyyx’o looked positively perplexed at the news. “What happened to Qri?”

Kilisia paused and suddenly recalled that she had not shared the details of her plans with Lyyx’o but one of the other mages, Talon Vey, instead. She cursed under her breath and went to sit down at the desk, shoving her robe off of it in irritation. 

“Am I missing something?” Lyyx’o asked, closing her book and setting it aside. “Is Qri Vyk dead? Why is her daughter Empress?”

“It’s… a long story.”

“One I wasn’t supposed to know about, right? I see.” Lyyx’o scratched at her nose and crossed her legs in thought. “I’m assuming Talon knows this long story. He knows everything as tier one mage, but I’m left out of all the excitement, even as tier two.”

Kilisia sighed. “Lyyx’o, please, not this again. I don’t have the headspace for this.”

“No, but this is exactly what I’m talking about! The constant dismissal, keeping secrets. What is the entire point of the Mu’vra if only one mage knows anything?”

“You all have… different tasks. Please, this is not the time to be arguing about this.”

“Well there’s not much else to talk about if Li Vyk becoming Empress is just a “long story” you won’t even tell me about.” It was clear Lyyx’o was getting annoyed, which caused Valiant to stir nervously beside her. “Do you want me to leave so you can call Talon in here and have your super secret meeting?”

“Lyyx’o… just stop.” Kilisia abruptly stood from the desk. “How is it my fault that you haven’t been able to best Talon and take his spot as tier one? You’ve challenged him twice and failed twice. You’re lucky I keep you around after displaying such incompetence.”

Lyyx’o fell silent, her jaw clenched tightly in anger and embarrassment. Kilisia could see that fire in her eyes from across the room and knew she would eventually have to apologize for what she had said, but for now it had served its purpose and she stopped arguing pointlessly when there were much more important matters at hand.

“Do you know where Talon is?” Kilisia asked, attempting to find some patience.

“No.” Lyyx’o bit back sharply. “He’s a night owl. He’s probably still asleep.”

Kilisia sighed and sat back down. “I need to know where he is. I also need to know where that coward, Mey Vyk, is.”

Lyyx’o just sighed, unable to keep herself from asking more questions. “Why do you need to know where Mey Vyk is?”

Kilisia decided she would just stop beating around the bush about it. There was no point if Talon wasn’t there anyway, she had to inform someone. “Mey Vyk was supposed to succeed Qri, not her daughter. Everything has completely fallen apart.”

Lyyx’o was still visibly confused, but tried her best to piece her best guesses and assumptions together. “Are you saying you had Qri Vyk assassinated?”

“Yes.” Kilisia admitted reluctantly. “The plan was to have both Qri and Li killed and then Mey would be the only one to take the throne but clearly something went wrong along the way. Which is why I need to find Mey Vyk immediately.”

Lyyx’o couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. “That’s ambitious, even for you. Does your father know about this? I’m going to assume he doesn’t.”

“He can’t find out about this. He won’t, unless Adasaa somehow finds out, but she’s far too preoccupied with Father’s health to ask questions.”

“She’s also just smart enough to know not to ask those kinds of questions.” Lyyx’o pointed out. “I can have one of the spies from the Legion track down Mey Vyk for you. If you ask nicely.”

Kilisia hated that she was suddenly at Lyyx’o’s mercy, having just berated her for her lack of competence. She knew it wasn't true, of course; Lyyx’o was extremely competent and exceptionally smart and cunning. Kilisia also knew she was a powerful mage that she needed to be very careful not to anger.

Lyyx'o tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for an answer.

“Yes, please, contact someone from the Legion.“ Kilisia waved her hand dismissively. “We cannot let Mey Vyk roam around with all that he knows.”

Lyyx'o nodded and promptly began to make her way out of the room, Valiant following her loyally. Kilisia stopped her just before the door.

“Make sure it's known that I need Mey Vyk _alive_.”

“Of course.” Lyyx'o bowed in an exaggerated motion meant to mock. Kilisia simply rolled her eyes in response. “You really do need to take things less seriously, Kilis. Spend some time at Vehra’s Establishment. I can't tell you anything about the men there but the women are certainly good at what they do.” Lyyx'o gave Kilisia a flirtatious wink and left the room chuckling softly to herself. 

Kilisia simply shook her head and rubbed stressfully at her temples. Dealing with Lyyx'o was like dealing with a rambunctious teenager, though she had to admit Talon wasn't much better given his bullheaded nature. It was a shame they were both such talented mages, given their atrocious manners the majority of the time.

* * *

Lyyx’o decided the best place to meet with a spy of the Legion was at Vehra’s Establishment, located on the outskirts of the northern section of Ausura, Absuria’s capital city. She watched as women and men flirted and seduced their high-paying customers rather openly, only venturing off when things became excessively heated. Valiant purred happily next to her as she watched one woman in particular, a rather fair-skinned Eryian woman with hair the color of a pale rose. She knew it would be a while before her contact arrived, so she motioned for the woman to come join her, the woman immediately running her hand against the inside of Lyyx’o’s thigh once she sat down.

Lyyx’o leaned in to ask her name.

“You can call me whatever you like, ausuri.” She whispered back. Lyyx’o found it amusing that the woman addressed her formally.

“Oh, but I’m sure your name is beautiful, just like you.” Lyyx’o teased. “Now why don’t you tell me. Or make something up. I wouldn’t know the difference.”

The woman smiled coyly. “Miriana is my name.”

“What a beautiful name, Miriana.” Lyyx’o said, eyeing the woman’s hand still caressing her thigh. “Would you like to have a little fun with me in the other room?”

Before Miriana could say yes or no, the sound of someone clearing their throat rather loudly above them stole their attention away from one another. Lyyx’o’s grin quickly turned into a scowl when she saw her contact standing in front of her.

“Well you’re certainly punctual.” Lyyx’o said, leaning back a bit.

“You said it was urgent.” The man shifted impatiently from side to side, apparently avoiding all eye contact from anyone else in the large room.

“Did I? Well, I suppose it is urgent.” Lyyx’o sighed and gave Miriana a quick wink before getting up. “Perhaps we’ll have some fun later.” She told her, handing her two gold coins and motioning for her contact to follow her into an empty room nearby.

“I hate that you always insist on meeting here.” The contact said once they were alone. “Don’t you hang out anywhere else?”

“Not really.” Lyyx’o replied, taking a seat and allowing Valiant to hop into her lap. “Anyway, the matter I sent you for is in fact urgent. I need you to bring me Mey Vyk.”

“Mey Vyk? As in the Empress’ husband?”

“Yes, that one. But he likely won’t be in Rkynva Cik. You will probably have to reach out to our contacts in Rkyna and see if any of them have spotted him or know of his whereabouts. But I need him brought here alive and as soon as possible.”

“I’ll see that it’s done.”

“Good. I’ll send your payment over later today.”

The man nodded and was about to leave when Lyyx’o called out, apparently not finished with her business with him.

“Did you ever uncover any information about Caia Kos?” She asked.

The man shook his head. “She left Absuria ten years ago, Lyxx’o. Following her trail has been nearly impossible. But if I hear anything, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

It was clear Lyyx’o was extremely disappointed hearing his words but quickly swallowed it and sent him on his way. Once he was gone, she spotted Miriana peering curiously into the room.

“Come to play?” Lyyx’o said with a smirk. “I could certainly use the distraction more than ever.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s kind of a weird POV jump in this chapter. I’m aware and will fix later.

“Did you hear the news?”

Sen shook her head as she used the last of her bread to soak up the remaining sauce on her plate, eager to finish her breakfast and start another day of training. Normally she liked to be up and out before sunrise, but her mother had insisted on eating breakfast together that morning for some reason. Of course, her mother didn’t really _need_ a reason—Sen was always happy to spend time with her, even if it meant being a little late.

“Apparently the Empress is dead.” Her mother said, the tone of her voice incredibly somber. “And apparently her husband is missing. It’s all just terrible.”

Sen nearly choked on her food. “When did this happen?”

“Well, the news just reached Kipa this morning. I found a letter through the door with the Empire’s official seal. It was to inform us that her daughter is now Empress.” Her mother went to grab Sen’s plate so she could begin cleaning up. “Do you think this is why that recruitment officer came all the way from the capital?”

“It’s certainly possible.” Sen remarked. “Do you remember how old her daughter is?”

Her mother thought deeply for a moment. “She has to be around twenty now, if my memory serves correctly. Although her mother was not much older, I think twenty is a terribly young age to be ruling an Empire. I feel sorry for her. Losing her mother and having no idea where her father is. And now having to take the throne on top of it all? I can’t imagine what’s she’s going through.”

“What do you think happened to her mother? Do you think she was assassinated?”

“I'm not sure, dear. The letter didn't say anything about that. I don't think it bodes well that Mey is missing so close to her death. Although I'm glad there won't have to be a vote.”

“I wonder if he had something to do with it...” Sen found herself lost in thought for a moment, unconcerned with moving from her spot at the table just yet. “This has to be why.”

“Why what?”

“Why a new Eit Kro has been requested.”

The sound of a plate hitting the floor caused Sen to jump ever so slightly. “Are you alright?” She asked, turning sharply in her seat to look back at her mother standing nearby.

“No... I mean yes. Yes I'm fine.” Her mother desperately attempted to compose herself and quickly picked up as many of the shattered pieces of the plate as she could. “That recruitment officer was here to look for a new Eit Kro? Why didn't you tell me this sooner?”

“I didn’t want to say anything if it ended up being a false alarm.” Sen admitted, finally getting up out of the chair to go check on her mother. “I also didn’t want to worry you.”

“Worry me? Sen, this is what you’ve been training for since you were very young. I guess as a mother I’ll always worry about you, but this is amazing news if it’s true.”

Sen looked somewhat abashed, rubbing at the back of her neck and shrugging her shoulders. “If I’m being completely honest, I’m the one that’s a little worried. I mean, Qri Vyk was possibly assassinated and not even her Eit Kro could stop it from happening. I can’t imagine the disgrace that man must feel. I just worry that whatever forces are out there in conflict with the Empire are bigger than someone like me can handle.”

“Someone like you?” Her mother put a hand affectionately on her daughter’s shoulder.

“Everything is moving so fast.” Sen admitted. “Niv wanted to train me for another five years at least. My performance during training is hardly perfect; I still allow those less skilled than me get the best of me at times. And you know and I know that my pride won’t let me yield in the trials. I can’t afford to make any mistakes.”

“Do you want to know what I think?” Her mother said. “I think when that moment finally happens, when you’re finally face to face with your own mortality—when it’s kill or be killed—you will persevere. I know you are filled with that burning desire to fight and survive and fulfill your duty, whatever those may be at the time. But you must keep your head clear as well. Don’t trip yourself up. You’re so much better than that and you know it. I know you do.”

Sen heaved a heavy sigh that was nearly caught in her throat. “You’re right. Of course you’re right. I think I’ve just been so caught up studying that my brain has turned to mush and is working against me.”

“You haven’t been sleeping well either.” Her mother commented. “All week you were up well into the night studying.”

“I just hope it was enough to pass the exams. Having to cram an entire summer’s worth of studying into just a few days is certainly stressful. Though I suppose I’ll have to get used to that sort of life. Being Eit Kro is more than just being the Empress’ personal bodyguard after all. I’d have a seat at her council as well.”

“Do you find out the results today?” Her mother asked.

Sen nodded in response. “Yes, but I’m sure Niv has already sent the results to the military headquarters in the capital. If they were satisfactory of course.”

“Then I should let you be on your way. I’m sure you’re eager to hear how you did.”

Her mother touched affectionately at her daughter’s cheek in an attempt to reassure and comfort her before urging her along, reluctant to admit the immense nervousness she felt as she watched her leave.

* * *

Funerals in Rkyna were hardly extravagant affairs and often left to the Ej Xo priestesses to handle in private, close family members only called upon to bring an offering of seeds to be planted with the remains. Even the funerals of monarchs were relatively private, though it was not unheard of for an influx of offerings to be brought to various temples of Vai Kro in their honor. Li decided to bring the priestesses rose flower seeds, knowing that they were her mother’s favorite. She hoped they would bloom strong and vibrant with thorns thick enough to keep pests and intruders alike away from her resting place.

It was not uncommon, however, for relatives to stop by and offer their condolences following a death, often bringing young plants or herbs to fill the home with positive, lively energy in a person’s absence. This was something Li was not looking forward to; a constant stream of relatives she hardly knew, prone to rambling for hours on end about anything and everything, whether it related to her mother or not, and forcing her to keep a smile on her face when all she wanted to do was be alone. She hadn’t had a moment of peace in weeks. Even her brief moment that night with Weyra felt vague and entirely too short for her liking and as badly as she desired Weyra’s company, the woman seemed to be avoiding her left and right.

Li did have to admit that she was pleased to see her uncle Davon when he stopped by one afternoon. She always had fond memories of him at yearly family get togethers, especially since he always made sure to bring her a small gift and knew better than to smother her with questions or boring small-talk. When she got older, he would sometimes slip her a small cup of wine, winking playfully as he sauntered away innocently.

Davon had not always presented as a man and his name had not always been Davon, though Li refused to ever bring up his previous name out of respect and would openly scold anyone that slipped up. The day he happened to stop by, Li was meeting with Eron Prel about the Eit Kro hopefuls and going over their exam results with him. She hadn’t seen him for quite some time and found that he looked rather handsome and striking with his short hair and finely trimmed beard. He wore a single earring and a sleek black tunic and black pants, the gold of his belt buckle recently polished.

“My apologies, little niece.” Davon said, bowing his head deeply. “I wanted to visit sooner but I had to make sure Eril was taken care of before I made my way to the capital. I am terribly sorry to hear about your mother. My sister will be greatly missed by everyone, surely.”

“It’s so good to see you, Davon.” Li remarked, disregarding proper etiquette and giving the man a tight hug. “Thank you for coming by. Is Eril alright?”

Davon smiled at the warmness of the hug, apparently pleased that his niece still maintained much of her regular habits despite what her council might say otherwise. “Oh, he’ll be alright. He thinks the slightest touch of illness is Ej Xo tapping on the window. He’s very dramatic.”

“Vai’s winds bring him good health.”

“Thank you, dear. How are you... handling everything?” Davon’s voice fell very low as he asked the question, though he was sure Eron still picked up on his choice of words.

“As to be expected.” Was all Li said on the matter, giving the man in front of her a subtle shrug of her shoulders. “Things are starting to settle down now that the funeral has taken place.”

“Still no sign of your father?”

Li shook her head.

“How troubling. Well, I won't keep you too long, little fern. I'm sure you have much to do. I would like to mention, however, that if you ever require any help with anything, anything at all, I'd be more than happy to oblige. Though I have been away from politics for some time, I still remember a thing or two. So do not hesitate to send for me.”

“Are you sure your husband will survive without you?” Li teased.

Davon gave a good chuckle in response. “He might argue a little, but he’ll be fine.”

“I will keep your offer in mind, uncle, thank you. It would be nice to have you around more often. Eril is always welcome here as well.”

Davon gave a polite bow of his head and before leaving, presented Li with a small box of tea as a gift for her loss as well as becoming Empress. She could smell the cinnamon almost as soon as she took the box into her hands.

Once Davon left, Li reluctantly turned her attention back to Eron. He had hardly been paying attention to the conversation between the two, instead focused on skimming through the numerous papers on the table. Li sat back down beside him, apologizing for the interruption.

“No need to apologize.” Eron reassured. “There were a total of sixteen that passed the preliminary exams, though I would advise against these four as they only barely passed and struggled in areas that I would consider most important. Many of the others scored exceptionally well, however.”

“Which one scored the highest?” Li asked curiously.  
Eron quickly looked over the results again. “Sen Ri of Kipa had nearly a perfect score. Quite impressive that she even got the trick questions correct. I believe only two others managed that. Jo Xhir from Northwater scored the second highest.”

“And are these preliminary exams fairly indicative of their potential as Eit Kro?”

“Well, there is still the matter of how they perform in combat and how well composed they are in stressful situations. You want an Eit Kro that will not hesitate to draw their sword and defend you and they must be observant as well, able to pick up on the slightest shift in their surroundings. It's important to watch their eyes.”

“Their eyes?”

“Yes. A properly trained Eit Kro frequently relies on their peripheral vision to avoid giving away movements or suspicion to others. It often gives them the appearance that they aren’t paying attention, but you can trust that they are. I would suggest testing this when you meet with these hopefuls in Visteria. Ask for them to comment about something obscure in their peripheral vision and watch their eyes carefully.”

“Visteria… that name sounds familiar, but I don’t think I’ve ever been there.”

Eron went to sorting his papers absentmindedly again. “The last time Visteria saw any real activity was before you were born. It is a place where potential Eit Kro take part in their trials.”

“These trials… I keep hearing the word, but no one has ever explained to me exactly what they are and how they determine how competent my Eit Kro will be.”

“Then I suppose it is time for a history lesson.” Eron sat back with a small grin on his face. “You see, many centuries ago, the elite warriors of Visteria would duel one another to earn the monarch’s favor and become the Empire’s champion. It was a great honor and the job came with more wealth and privilege than you can ever possibly imagine. But it was a bloodsport. Many fought viciously and without remorse, filled with greed and pride. As time went on, the process of choosing a monarch’s personal guard became much more refined. The entire image of the Empire hinged on the Eit Gyen. They were to be seen as powerful but stoic and loyal as well. And while the trials are still rooted in tradition and still fairly bloody, there is a certain structure nowadays that mirrors the elegance required of a monarch’s personal guard.

I believe it was Emperor Xia Vyk that created the three trials we still use to this day. The trial of grace is used to demonstrate technique and evaluate subtle mannerisms of every hopeful. Posture, footwork, how they bow or unsheathe their weapon—all of this is analyzed and scored.   
The trial of agility tests reflexes and awareness in a rather brutal sort of way if you ask me. Tayosian sword masters, you see, use extremely sharp, hooked blades in battle that are often hard to counter. How well and quickly a hopeful reacts to these attacks and how well they can read where the swings will come from are observed carefully.

And then there’s the trial of strength, which is just what you might expect. Hopefuls must demonstrate their skill in battle by dueling one another, the biggest aspect that has kept true to tradition. Some will end up yielding, which is usually considered a disgrace, while many will only stop until their opponent is dead.”

Eron could tell based on Li’s expression that she was left overwhelmed and perhaps slightly mortified.

“It’s all rather extravagant, but it has guaranteed a successful Eit Gyen for many centuries. The training these individuals go through is often very strict and all they really know. But I do have a word of advice for you.” Eron sat forward slightly to display his seriousness. “An Eit Kro is not only a guard, but a companion. They are sworn to protect and serve you as well as offer emotional support if needed or desired. A lot of the hopefuls that did not score well on the exams failed in areas like religion and morality and empathy. Very complex and controversial subjects, especially for a person that must not hesitate to kill to protect their monarch. Knowing that they are an honest and good person is just as important as how well they fight. They must truly _care_ about the person they are sworn to serve. Once you find that person, pray that they succeed elsewhere. And I mean that quite literally.” Eron paused for a moment before continuing. “There is a saying the ancients used to use very rarely when leaving behind someone they cared for deeply: _evsxi’kel, prekte sul._ It roughly means “Eternally, I pray for your protected soul.”

Li did her best to remember those words. The Ancients, long gone now, were known to speak directly with the Gods and were sometimes able to influence the fate of the mortal world through this way. The complex language they left behind was rarely used and difficult to translate, but carried a certain sort of power that commanded respect and appreciation.

“I hope I haven’t bored you with my long-winded explanation of things.” Eron sighed. “I’m sure there’s even more history behind the whole process, but that is the gist.”

“I certainly have a much greater understanding of how it all works. Thank you for taking the time to explain it all. I’m sure Ela would have lost her mind trying to find the appropriate sources to do the same.”

Eron couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “I learned a lot from the commander before me, though I have not lived long enough to experience a lot of it personally.”

“It’s something I will take seriously, that’s for sure. I am glad I have your council.”

“The pleasure is mine, Eit Vyk.” Eron replied with a bow of his head. “If you like, you’re welcome to look over the exams for yourself. Let me know if any stand out as good or bad. We can turn away any of them, which I do recommend doing if you're able to. No reason for them to possibly lose their life or disgrace their name if they don't stand a chance.”

Li gave Eron a nod of understanding and with that, he thought it was best to give her some space to look over the files on the table. There was almost too much to sift through, but she found herself drawn to Sen Ri almost immediately, the name having stuck with her from earlier. Such a pretty name, she thought, as insignificant of a reason as it was to show interest in a potential Eit Kro. 

It really was a pretty name.

* * *

The sound of soft, muffled moans filled the space around the bed, hopefully quiet enough to go unnoticed by anyone passing through the hallway outside the bedroom. Li was on her back, Weyra comfortably on top of her and kissing at the side of her neck, her fingers slick between her legs. Weyra grinned and picked her head up slightly so she could get a better look at Li’s face, her eyes closed and expression still lost in pleasure.

“You should really work on keeping your voice down.” Weyra commented in a hushed tone, pressing her lips just underneath Li’s jawline.

Li frowned a little in response. “It wouldn't be be the first time I've been overheard engaging in _questionable_ acts. Usually alone. Hearing _my_ voice is the least of their concerns.”

“Oh really?” Weyra laughed softly. “You really aren't bashful at all.”

A small grin crept over her face. “What I do behind closed doors is none of their concern. Even if they can hear me a little. Although, it would be a neat trick if I could learn how to ward the room against anyone deciding to eavesdrop. Then I could really be as loud as I wanted.”

“I don't think it's very hard to do.” Weyra said, adjusting her position a little so she was lying beside Li, her arm draped lazily over her torso. “I was not blessed with a connection to the arcane unfortunately, so it's practically impossible for me, but I'm sure you could learn how.”

Li scoffed lightheartedly. “The only magic I'm capable of is getting rid of a headache. And the healer only taught me that so I would quit bothering her all the time. I'm sure she figured out I only came by so much because I thought she was pretty, not because I had a headache. But it's still a useful spell to know, I guess.”

“You've never tried to learn anything else?” Weyra asked. “It's been a while since the Empire has had a monarch capable of magic; it could really be used to your advantage in a lot of ways.”

Li shrugged her shoulders and started drawing patterns with her finger absentmindedly against Weyra’s bare arm. “They always told me it was a very weak connection and that it would take twice the amount of training to learn anything useful. Having to study even more than I already was definitely didn't appeal to me back then, but I suppose now is a different story.”

“Considering you're leading an Empire at odds with a nation full of powerful mages, I'd say it would be a wise investment.”

“How about we go back to what we were doing earlier instead of talking about this, hm?” Li proposed gently. “Wasn't that the whole point of this? A nice distraction from responsibilities and obligation? Or should we just go back to avoiding each other?”

Weyra sighed and let her head rest in the crook of Li’s neck snugly. “I wasn't _avoiding_ you. I was just giving you some space. Ela watching me like a hawk wasn't exactly helping matters either.”

“Oh, she's been watching _you_ like a hawk, has she?” Li couldn't help but chuckle. “I love Ela, I do; she has always looked after me and always wants the best for me, but she really does have a tendency to hover.”

“More like smother.” Weyra corrected. “She’ll never allow this, you know. And I'm rather inclined to agree with her. It just wouldn't be wise.”

As much as it hurt to hear, Li knew she was right. Much of her life from now on would be met with scrutiny and roadblocks of varying types, a lot of her own free will and desire buried deep down for the sake of appearances and preventing vulnerabilities from being exposed. She had gotten a taste of it growing up but that had never really stopped her rebellious tendencies, much to her mother’s immense frustration. Now she would have to be much more careful—and so would Weyra, her position in the council at risk otherwise, no matter what Li had to say about it. And the last thing Li wanted was to see someone as intelligent as Weyra shunned from a council position because she couldn't keep her feelings in check.

“She's actually been talking about me becoming an ambassador in Drakso.” Weyra continued. “I would have preferred the warm sands of Tayos, but I don't really have much choice in the matter.”

“An ambassador? Why? Wouldn't serving in the council be a much more prestigious opportunity?”

Weyra shrugged her shoulders and pressed herself a bit closer to Li. “Ela thinks the opposite, I'm afraid. She believes my talents would serve the Empire much better abroad.”

“Perhaps she already has her suspicions about us. Maybe this is just her way of preventing anything further from developing.” Li theorized.

“It certainly wouldn't surprise me.” Weyra sighed. “I have no real connections here in Rkyna otherwise. I'm not married, my family is small and well taken care of here in the capital. There's no real reason to keep me here if I'm better served elsewhere.”

“But do you _want_ to go?” Li asked, turning her head slightly so she could get a look at Weyra’s face, although the woman was doing her best to hide as much of her expression as possible.

“I’m still too young to know what I want.” Weyra confessed. “What I want is to help others. And if Ela thinks the best way to do that is for me to be an ambassador of the Empire in Drakso, then who am I to say otherwise? I’m not against the idea by any means. Perhaps that will change once I’m there, I can’t say. The climate could be too cold, the people too harsh. But it could also be wonderful there and staying here means I would have missed out on all of those experiences. I trust Ela’s judgement on the matter.”

Li knew the question had been a stupid one. Just like what she wanted didn't matter, Weyra’s wants and wishes for herself hardly mattered either. Although, Weyra likely had had more of a choice in the matter to begin with. Li would have only had a possible out if her mother had had more children or her father had been less of a disaster. Then maybe things would have been different.

“I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear.” Weyra muttered, finally lifting her head up. Li let her hand sort of fall off the small of her back as she did. “We don't need to talk about it anymore tonight. You're right, it's defeating the purpose.”

“It's not even about... this.” Li said, making an obscure gesture regarding them in bed together. “You've been a good friend to me, Weyra. I would hate to see you leave.”

Weyra suddenly looked very heartbroken. She kissed Li deeply, lingering for a lot longer than Li ever expected her to. “Please know that I care very deeply about you, Li. This is not easy for me by any means, but I also can't change it. And we both know better than to try.”

Li wasn't sure what to say in response, so she just kissed back and eventually pushed Weyra down onto her back against the bed. A long, heavy sigh escaped Weyra's lips when she felt Li go down on her, their entire conversation quickly vanishing from her mind.


	5. Chapter 5

Once Visteria got word of the Empress’ call for a new Eit Kro, as well as additional members of the Eit Gyen, the usually quiet ancient city became bustling with activity. Preparations would not take quite as long as they normally would, however, given that the last time a new Eit Kro was needed occurred less than thirty years ago. Sometimes a new one wouldn’t be needed for over a century, in which case more of Visteria had crumbled away from weathering and age.

More centrally located than Rkynva Cik and nearly buried in the heart of the the Great Forest, Visteria had served as the old capital for the Ancients when they were still alive some thousands of years ago. Much of the city had been destroyed in the mysterious Xynin Event which was credited to eradicating nearly all of the ancient population of Rkyna. There were dozens of ancient cities through the country, but only a few still remained today, one of which was Visteria and the other a secluded mountain village known as Altu Nyuk. Ruins of old cities and towns could be found when traveling through Rkyna, the architecture somewhat similar to modern design, though slightly less elaborate and much more open to allow the natural world to blend more seamlessly.

Li had never been to Visteria, though she had read about it quite extensively growing up. Her mother had told her about it as well once during one of their lazy afternoons out in the garden, reminiscing on how serene it felt walking through the old towers and amongst trees so tall and broad they almost seemed to mingle with the clouds. Even if she had rather stressful matters to take care of in Visteria, she was rather excited to finally see it for herself.

Ela, Ryn, Garro, and Eron, along with a handful of Eit Gyen, were to escort her to Visteria to oversee the trials and see how preparations were coming along as well as meet with any of the recruits that had arrived. Dalos, as lead advisor, volunteered to stay behind in the capital to keep an eye on things there and continue looking into Mey’s disappearance with the aid of their spymaster. Depending on where they were located, some hopefuls would take a bit longer to arrive, though it did help that the city was more central compared to Rkynva Cik. Those that lived very far north, especially northeast, would have taken just about a month to arrive otherwise.

Ryn fussed with the collar of his tunic as they waited outside Visteria’s gates. He was a rather sharply dressed man with very dark skin and the brightest golden eyes in contrast that her mother had always teased about reminding her of a cat’s eyes. Li adored Ryn greatly for his snark and good humor as well as his tendency to challenge Dalos when others were too afraid to.

“It’s quite lovely to finally be out of the city again.” Ryn commented, taking a deep breath of the fresh air around him. “I am sure I will begin to loathe it soon enough, but for now it is quite refreshing. I imagine it will be quite nice for you as well, Eit Vyk.” Ryn turned to face Li who was just hopping down from her horse, ignoring Garro’s attempt to help her.

“How long will we be here for?” Li asked, tilting her head back slightly as she took in the surrounding trees in all their glory. “I’ve never seen trees so tall.”

“About two weeks, dear.” Ela commented. “Once all of the recruits arrive, the trials shouldn't take much time at all. Unless any are delayed, of course, we shouldn’t be here much longer than that.”

“The Great Forest is home to the oldest and largest trees on all of Xvka.” Ryn remarked, ignoring most of what Ela had said as he was still far too distracted with the trees around them. “While the Drôva Forest in Zyun is the largest in the world, we certainly have them beat for the oldest.”

“Have you ever been to Zyun?” Li asked, suddenly very intrigued.

“Me? Cross the Silent Channel? Gods, never!” Ryn chuckled a bit. “I’ve had my fair share of tavern tales with Zyunse mercenaries, however. They absolutely love to talk about their homeland. Makes me wonder why they left to become mercenaries to begin with.”

There was some muffled shouting on the other side of the large gate which kept Visteria closed off from outsiders, then the sound of the gates being pushed open. An older man with a long, neatly groomed beard approached them, accompanied by two younger men in simple armor carrying small shields and elegant spears made of Tigerwood and shinestone. They carried short swords and a dagger at their waist as well and wore thin green cloaks with the sacred tree stitched into the fabric. All bowed their heads deeply in greeting.

“My Empress, we are so very honored to have you here.” The older man said. “I am Kalo Muro, magistrate of Visteria and it’s surrounding settlements. Is this your entire party?”

“Pleased to meet you, Kalo.” Li replied. “There are a half dozen or so of my guard still on their way but they should arrive shortly.”

“Very good. I will have my men escort them inside once they arrive. For now, I would like to show you the progress we’ve made on the city since Eit Prel informed us of your need for a new Eit Kro.” 

Kalo motioned for the four of them to follow him through the gates. One of the guards that walked out with him took to attending to the horses and luggage while the other was tasked with waiting for the rest of the guard to arrive.

“I am very sorry to hear about your mother.” Kalo remarked. “We got to know each other very well when she was here last. I believe she wasn't much older than you are now. It's like we've stepped back in time.”

“My mother spoke very fondly of Visteria. It filled her with a great sense of peace to be amongst the trees like this.”

As they walked along a wide path of red stone from the gate through a heavily shaded section of the city, Li couldn't help but notice a strange tingling sensation all throughout her body that only seemed to worsen the deeper into the city they walked. By the time they reached the main square, where dozens of people were hammering away at crumbling stone and trimming overgrown ferns and old tree limbs, it felt as if her entire body upper body was numb, as well as a tightness in her chest which caused her to make a noticeable expression.

“Are you alright, my Empress? Garro asked, the first one to pick up on her change of demeanor.

Li shook her head, unsure. Ela and Kalo hurried towards her. “My entire body feels numb, like I've been sitting in a bath of ice. I... can hardly explain it.” Li found it difficult to continue speaking, wincing as a wave of pain rushed over her.

“Do you have connections to the arcane?” Kalo inquired, hesitant to reach out and touch her in any way. “I have heard comments from those prone to magic that stepping into the city limits causes a rather significant reaction. Ancient sites like Visteria are filled with very old arcane energy. Your body is likely picking up on it.” Kalo motioned for either Garro or Ela to have Li sit on a bench nearby. “Sit down for a moment. I'm sure this feeling will fade rather quickly, but you should not resist it.”

Li forced herself to sit, her entire right arm numb from her shoulder to the tips of her fingers. In a hushed tone, Ela commented on the ever so slight yellow glow radiating from her hand, which Li had never seen before in her life, even when casting her simple healing spell.

“An Empress prone to magic...” Kalo thought aloud. “Very interesting. We have not had one of those in quite some time.”

“It’s not a very strong connection.” Li commented, surprised that she was even able to keep up a conversation. “At least... that’s what they’ve always said.”

“Even the weakest of connections can cause a reaction.” Kalo informed, taking a seat next to her. He could tell Garro was keeping a steady eye on him. “It’s one of the reasons we use Visteria to host the trials. Any sign of magic is forbidden from a member of the guard.”

Li picked up her head slightly, struggling to focus on the man next to her but desperate for a distraction nonetheless. “And why is that?” She asked.  
“It is considered a vulnerability.” Ryn chimed in before Kalo could. “Fey Kro has influence over those that have a direct connection to her. Practicing magic is still rather taboo after the Black War and only those of the royal name or blessed followers of Vai Kro, usually healers, are officially permitted to practice the art.”

Kalo nodded and continued. “Even before the Black War, the Empire viewed magic with a hint of skepticism and did not allow those with a connection to serve in the Eit Gyen for fear of possession. Your family’s blood was blessed many, many ages ago to protect you from such things, so there is no risk for you to know magic, though it has been some time since we’ve seen a monarch with any sort of talent for it.”

“It’s why when you marry, you must do so on one of these ancient sites.” Ela added. “If your spouse were to become monarch for any reason, it must be known that they have no trace of it.”

Li wasn’t sure why this was her first time hearing all of this, but it was at least distracting her from the pain, which she now realized had lessened significantly.

“Are you feeling better?” Kalo asked.

“It’s died down a little.” Li admitted, flexing her hand a bit as the feeling in her arm began to return slowly. “Strange that no one has ever informed me about these rules for the Eit Gyen.”

“A lot stems from superstition, truthfully.” Kalo added. “But it is best to remain cautious. No reason not to be.”

“Even with our enemies being powerful mages?” Li proposed. “Would that not be a time to break tradition?”

Kalo smiled a bit. “Now more than ever we must hold onto tradition. Our enemies know far more about the arcane arts and would surely use it to their advantage. But that is just my humble opinion and a discussion to have with your council if you so wish.”

Li nodded in understanding, apologizing for her barrage of questions to which Kalo simply chuckled and told her not to worry.

“Part of why you're here is to learn a bit of history, after all. So please, ask as many questions that come to mind. None are idiotic!”

Once Li was certain she was feeling better, the five of them started off again, heading up some winding steps to a mostly restored tower covered in thick ivy. The chirping of birds filled the air along with the distinct hum of cicada. Kalo pushed open the heavy redwood door in front of them, the smell of the wood pungent and fresh as if it had just been crafted the other day. Once inside, Li noticed that the ivy on the outside of the tower had been allowed to grow on the inside as well. The dark stone floors appeared a bit mismatched but smooth and swept clean. A small sparrow fluttered around from beam to beam of the high ceiling, chirping and singing as it did.

“This is where you will be staying during your time here.” Kalo informed, remaining by the door until everyone was inside. “Upstairs you will find several bedrooms, enough room for everyone I believe. Did you want to see the trial grounds once you’ve settled in, Eit Vyk? We are still clearing some rubble but it’s nearly complete.”

“I would love to see it.” Li replied, peering up the winding staircase leading up the tower. “Have many of the hopefuls arrived yet?”

“Yes, I believe a few have if you would like to meet them. I can send for them at your request.”

Li gave a quick glance in Ela’s direction, looking for her opinion. She gave a subtle nod. “Yes, arrange for them to meet us there in an hour. I’d like to change into something less common. Your guard should be bringing our luggage soon, yes?”

Kalo nodded. “He should be on his way. I’ll see to him as well as the recruits. Make yourself at home in the meanwhile. There should be baskets of fresh fruit and some loaves of spiced bread in the dining room to your left there. I’ll return in an hour to escort you to the trial grounds.”

* * *

Once their luggage arrived, Li opted to wear a high collared dark green tunic and a lightweight white and gold cloak to accompany a dark pair of trousers and short boots with glistening golden buckles. Ela, however, seemed unsatisfied with the look and insisted on adding half a dozen or more accessories; an elk head pin for the cloak rather than the simple one she had chosen, a few more ear piercings, and a black leather belt with intricate golden inlays and white stitching seemed to complete the look to Ela’s satisfaction.

“Why do you always insist I wear these high collared garments?” Li asked, pulling at her collar until Ela gently slapped her hand away.

“It helps you maintain better posture. You have a habit of slouching.”

“I think you're just trying to choke me.”

“Well it's clearly not working then.” Ela teased, fussing with Li’s hair so that at least one of her ears could be seen clearly. “I know you like to wear those very sheer, very loose blouses all the time this time of year, but you must refine your appearance a bit more in public. Simple is not necessarily frowned upon, but tiny details matter and make a statement.”

“You mean you _don’t_ want me flirting with every woman I encounter? You're killing me.”

“Oh, as if what you’re wearing has any influence over that.”

Li smirked a little at that. “You know me so very well, Ela.”

“Painfully well I'm afraid.” Ela stood back get a better look at the entire outfit, seemingly satisfied. “That will do. We should be on our way now. And do not send Eit Mias away again. He is to accompany you everywhere while we're here, do you understand?”

“Let’s just hope these trials go quickly so I don’t have to tolerate him any longer.” Li commented, grabbing one of her daggers lying on a nearby table and sliding it into the short sheath at her side.

Garro was positioned just outside the door and walked with them downstairs to meet the magistrate. Kalo promptly escorted them out and through the city to the trial grounds, giving them a brief tour along the way. The trial grounds consisted of a flattened area in a clearing of trees, a crumbling tower the first thing any of them saw. A large pile of rubble was being worked on, but it appeared to be coming along nicely, the balcony used for viewing soon to be refortified and suitable for its intended use.

“We had a late spring storm damage some of the tower.” Kalo commented. “Winds knocked a few large limbs from one of the trees there and these old stones can be rather fragile. It shouldn't be more than a day or two before the tower is cleaned up and ready for use. I apologize that it wasn't completed sooner.”

“It's quite alright.” Li replied, turning her head to take in all of her surroundings. There was a sizable weapons rack glistening in the sun beside a small stone armory and forge, a blacksmith currently hammering away at something and filling the air with that distinct _ting ting ting_ of metal on metal. “How long do these trials typically take?”

Kalo thought for a moment. “Usually about a week, but all of the recruits have yet to arrive, so it'll be a few more days before they begin.”

“I remember Ej Xo’s blessing taking the longest.” Garro commented freely. “Several hours of sitting in a dark temple with the priestesses lurking all around you, the smell of death flower burning the inside your nose and leaving you woozy. Time passed so slowly when I was there—it felt more like days rather than hours.”

“Receiving Ej Xo’s blessing does take the most time out of every trial.” Kalo said in agreement. “You cannot rush the process—or the priestesses. They will do things at their own pace and it is best not to question a priestess of the God of Blackness.”

“The priestesses speak directly with Ej Xo, isn’t that right?” Li asked curiously.

“Yes, but never aloud. A mortal speaking Ej Xo’s tongue aloud is a sure way to meet your end.”

“If it’s even possible.” Garro added. “Ej Xo speaks to you during the process, as incompressible as it might be, but you hear him, distinct against the voices of the priestesses in the room. It comes from within. The words you hear seem almost impossible to repeat even if you dared to try.”

Li remembered reading about Eit Kro going through the process of receiving Ej Xo’s blessing. It was a final test of will and devotion for the most part, having to endure a myriad of voices and sensations swarming all around them for hours on end. And hearing a God speak directly to you would scare away even the most devout if they did not possess the correct frame of mind. Very talented recruits often met their downfall in the process, some even admitting that they never heard Ej Xo. The priestesses were able to confirm this as well. Li could not even begin to imagine how grueling of a process it must be.

“Your recruits are just over there—beside the tower across from the forge here.” Kalo pointed out. “Eron informed them of your arrival but it appears many had their suspicions about it already.”

Li gave a nod and motioned for Kalo to lead the way. She felt Ela prod her side gently, a gesture that usually meant her posture was not straight enough, at least not to her liking. Li straightened up and pushed her shoulders back as best she could, the stiff collar of her tunic doing a rather suitable job keeping her head held high as they walked across the clearing.

The recruits were waiting in a tight line just beside the tower, Eron standing nearby watching them closely. They all bowed their heads out of respect, though Li immediately noticed a few turn their heads to look at her, Eron’s advice on peripheral vision popping into mind. She tried to make a mental note on which ones she saw move their heads.

As she glanced across the line of them, her eyes landed on one in particular almost right away, her shorter stature and fresh face standing out to her amongst the much taller and older recruits. Li approached her curiously, eyeing the sword hanging from her side. She caught sight of a crescent moon and Vai Kro’s sacred tree etched into either side of the hilt.

“What’s your name?” Li asked, her cloak stirring ever so slightly as a light breeze ran through the clearing. She watched her eyes carefully, a bit lost in the color of them. A mix of green and gold, like Vai Kro’s enchanted forest on a bright summer day. She noticed a very faint speckling of uneven freckles across her face as well.

“Sen Ri, my Empress.”

Hearing the name caused her heart to skip a beat, but she tried her best to keep herself composed. It felt as if all eyes were on her, which they very much were.

“Might I see your sword, Sen Ri?” Li asked.

Without hesitation, Sen unsheathed her sword and presented it to Li, the dark, freshly forged and polished steel catching the sun slightly and causing it to almost glimmer.

“What a beautiful weapon. Does it have a name?”

“Vysul’mon.” Sen replied.

“Verdant Moon.” 

Li couldn’t help but smile a bit at the name, which caused the faintest reaction deep in Sen’s eyes, almost as if she was very honored that Li not only recognized the name, but appreciated it as well. Li was sure she wouldn’t have noticed the reaction otherwise if she hadn’t been so enamored with the color of her eyes to begin with.

“You may sheath your sword now, Sen Ri, thank you.”

Sen nodded and slid the sword back into its scabbard perfectly without ever breaking her eyes from Li’s. Before she moved on to inspect the other recruits, however, Li remembered the saying Eron had spoken to her during their meeting back at the palace. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if perhaps she was being too hasty, until it occurred to her that she might not get another moment to speak with Sen before the trials began. It wasn’t worth the risk to hesitate for the sake of appearances.

“Evsxi’kel, prekte sul, Sen Ri.” She said just loudly enough for Sen to hear and no one else. With a bow of her head, she finally managed to look away and move along down the line of recruits.

* * *

Later that night, after a rather long supper filled with nearly endless conversation, Li sat with Ela upstairs in her room, reluctant to be alone just yet. She had excused Garro for the night, though she was sure he had picked a room close to hers as usual.

Ela changed into something more comfortable as Li sat in a chair beside the window overlooking part of the city. There was not a lot of activity at night, but she did spot a few guards roaming around with low burning torches. She wondered if they had any sort of tavern, even if she knew Ela would never let her leave to go to such a place at that time of night.  
“Did any of the recruits stand out to you?” Ela asked as she pulled an earring out and set it inside a small jewelry box.

“A few, yes.” Li remarked, still staring out the window.

“Which ones?”

Li was a bit reluctant to show too much enthusiasm right away, but eventually decided it wouldn’t do her much good. “There were three or four. I don’t remember all of their names, unfortunately. One of the men—Jo Xhir I believe his name was—looked promising.”

Ela was somewhat surprised hearing his name, but could tell Li wasn’t quite finished.

“I will admit though… Sen Ri intrigues me the most.”

“The one from Kipa, yes? I believe she scored the highest on the preliminary exams.”

“She did, yes.” Li finally grew bored of watching the guards roam around outside. She sat back in her chair a bit, disgruntled that she didn’t see any wine anywhere in the room.

“What about her intrigues you so much?” Ela asked curiously.

“I can't really explain it.” Li admitted, propping her chin up with her knuckles as she thought. “Haven’t you ever looked at someone and had a gut feeling about them? Or see something burning deep in their eyes that’s just calling out to you? That sounds a bit overly romantic, but it’s the only way I can even begin to describe it.”

Ela appeared to give it some thought, leaning against the footboard of the bed slightly. “I suppose I felt something like that when I met Vianna. There are certainly people you can just share a look with and feel a connection.”

“Her name caught my attention originally.” Li continued, rather lost in thought at that point. “When I was looking through the exam results. Vysul’mon is a very intriguing name for a sword as well.”

“Is it from something?” Ela asked. “I’m unfamiliar with the name.“

“It’s the name of a moon deity. One that was known to have a very passionate and loyal personality. Always honest and trustworthy, they were devoted to keeping their planet Monsol’savri or “dwelling of moonlight”, true to their name. I believe Vysul’mon’s name came from their emerald color, however, and it was said that the moonlight on Monsol’savri looked like a brilliant aurora. Worshipers of Alto are somewhat hard to come by, but it’s clear she’s one of them. I noticed a crescent moon carved into the hilt of her sword.”

“Seems like you were paying attention to some of your studies at least.” Ela commented, rather impressed. “I did notice you seemed to linger around her much longer than the others. We’ll have to keep a close eye on her during the trials. Dalos might disagree with me, but gut feelings should always be acknowledged. And it’s not like she lacks the qualifications by any means.”

Li smiled a bit. “I’m glad we see eye to eye on this.”

“I trust your judgement one-hundred percent, Li. I always have.”

“Oh, it’s been a while since you’ve addressed me casually.” Li chuckled. “I haven’t quite gotten used to everyone addressing me as Eit Vyk or _my Empress_. It just makes me think of my mother more than anything. Although, I do find it endearing when you call me Li-kro.”

Ela smiled a bit. “It’s always a bit of a social conundrum when a person younger than you is a much higher rank. I’ve known you since you were about six, after all.”

“I was sure a handful at that age, wasn’t I?”  
“You still are.”

Both of them laughed at that, the first genuine laugh either of them had had in quite some time.


	6. Chapter 6

There were a total of fourteen recruits at the start of the trials, eleven women and three men. Sen found herself to be the youngest amongst them by a rather large margin, but after hearing their relentless gossiping over the last few days, she had serious concerns regarding their overall maturity. She didn't necessarily consider herself better than any of them and it would have been incredibly idiotic to think she was, though she did have to question the mentors that trained them.

Sen wasn't exactly worried about the trial of grace. If Niv ever praised her for one thing, it was her elegance in handling a sword and keeping a proper posture even if she was aching from hours of training.

Each were given identical swords to make the scoring process easier and avoid any advantages over one another. Sen hated the weight of the sword and found the scabbard rather finicky, having to wonder if that was the intention. Some struggled significantly with it, the grip far too broad for some and too narrow for others. Sen preferred slightly shorter and lighter swords because of her height but it did not take her long to adjust.

They went through countless drills while Eron and Kalo evaluated each and every one of them with an extremely critical eye. A few were asked to perform an extra maneuver or two, which Sen watched curiously in the corner of her eye. She could tell they were struggling and their footwork lazy. Some even huffed in annoyance, whether at themselves or over the fact that they were being singled out. Likely another negative mark on their sheet.

Along with handling a sword, they demonstrated repeated bows, walking and sitting movements as well as overall posture and ability to stand for long periods of time with little to no movement, though that was hardly required of them in a realistic situation. It was more or less a test of discipline. It was also an extremely boring trial to evaluate and participate in; Sen was not at all surprised to see that the Empress did not stay for the entire day, her advisors eventually convincing her to attend to matters elsewhere and return the following day for the trial of agility.

Sen was a bit more nervous for that one.

While they waited for the Tayosian sword master to finish sharpening his curved blade of death, as many of them had jokingly referred to it the night before, Sen found herself watching Li up on the balcony of the tower in the meantime. She appeared intrigued with the Tayosian warrior and his weapon, leaning in to speak with one of her advisors, apparently asking questions as the man beside her began pointing out things to her. She wore a black doublet and a gold cloak, both shoulders adorned in thin scaled plating with a half dozen gold chains connecting the two pieces across her chest. She wore her hair up that day, loosely, a few thick curls free to frame her face ever so slightly. Every once in a while she would smile, her advisor having said something amusing to her most likely and Sen would feel a strange aching in her chest whenever she did. She eventually forced herself to look away so she could focus.

A few recruits had already been cut after the first trial, leaving eleven of them. The Tayosian sword master would surely have his work cut out for him that day, unless Eron and Kalo decided to do the remaining recruits the following day.

Sen was somewhat grateful that she was not called upon first. She watched three others go before her, impressed with their reaction times and also slightly terrified after seeing just how quickly the man was able to swing his blade. The way it hooked and curved when he swung it required multiple swift movements to avoid. It also did not help that they were forced to wear rather bare armor, their arms and hands exposed completely to heighten to risk. Sometimes they were able to avoid the initial swing, but were nearly nicked when it came back around suddenly. One managed to get her cheek slashed at the last second, her bright red blood spraying onto the ground. She did well to compose herself when it happened, even if it was clear afterwards that she was in incredible pain.

When it was Sen’s turn, the Tayosian warrior looked like he had only just finished warming up. He was significantly larger compared to her, the blade also much larger the closer she was to it. She could see a significant amount of blood on the blade, some of the other recruits having been nicked more than she was able to see from afar.

The man did not give her any indication that he was about to start swinging, he simply swung. Sen managed to dodge his attack, watching as the blade swung back around from the corner of her eye. She skillfully took a half step backwards to avoid it, then a step to the right to avoid an odd thrust at her side that would have surely impaled her if she had not moved quickly enough. He had a look of determination in his eye and a bit of excitement, as if it thrilled him to death to be hacking away at people smaller than him.

Sen used her size to her advantage, keeping herself angled just so to make herself a smaller target. The man could tell what she was trying to do and attempted to force her into a much more vulnerable stance, though the effort was relatively futile. Swing after swing she dodged and avoided, some a bit less eloquently than she would have liked, but if it meant she wasn’t gushing blood, she was happy with it. The man looked red in the face after a good five or so minutes of continuous slashing. Eron was about to call out that he could stop when the man held up his hand to silence him. Apparently the warrior was determined to get at least one hit in on Sen, which only motivated Sen to keep avoiding him completely.

Another five minutes went by without a single hit on her, though Sen was beginning to lose her breath a bit and her footing became uneasy. The sword master was beginning to lose his edge as well, however. His swings became a tad slower and more predictable, but Sen also noticed they were coming with much more force and aggression. If she allowed a blow to connect, it would likely result in a deep wound and not a simple slash that could be patched up quickly.

In what appeared to be his final attempt at beating her, Sen realized a split second before it connected that she would not be able to avoid his attack completely if she did not use her hands to stop it. She came at it from an angle, the sharp edge of the blade slicing into her palm, but with enough force from the rest of her hand bracing against the side of the blade to keep it from going too deeply. As the blade came down towards her left shoulder, she was able to shove it away just far enough that it avoided her completely, the blood from her palm staining the blade as it went soaring by.

The sword master looked surprised that she had challenged his attack directly, given the incredible sharpness of the blade as well as the sheer force behind his swing. It could have easily destroyed her sword hand.

“That will be all!” Eron shouted, desperate to stop the nearly fifteen minute exercise before it ended up killing one of them. They still had plenty more recruits to go through as well, though it was clear the sword master would need a brief moment to catch his breath.

Sen ignored her bleeding hand and gave the sword master a deep bow, to which he grinned and returned the gesture.

“I’ve never seen anyone crazy enough to grab a gyuzin blade like that.” He said to her quietly. “Let’s hope you don’t give the others any ideas. They won’t be so lucky.”

Sen certainly agreed with him, giving him a respectful nod as he walked away. A healer ran up to take a look at Sen’s hand, the wound deep, but nothing serious. As discreetly as possible, Sen glanced up at the balcony, spotting Li looking positively wide-eyed where she sat, her hand anxiously pressed against her chest and toying nervously with the chains there. Sen could tell she was looking right at her, even from that distance, so she gave her reassuring nod of her head to let her know she would be just fine.

The rest of the day Sen spent nursing her throbbing hand and watching the rest of the recruits go against the sword master. He had quite a bit of energy left in him and was able to test four more recruits before Eron deciding they would finish up tomorrow. It was getting late anyway, the sword master taking frequent breaks between recruits to make sure he was giving it his all each time.

One hopeful lost a finger and another nearly lost an eye.

Before she was able to head to her quarters for the night, she was approached by Li without any of her advisors nearby, though Sen did spot Garro a few steps away watching them carefully.

“I don’t have much time, but I wanted to see if you were alright.”

“I am, my Empress. No need to worry.” Sen bowed her head and flashed a very quick and small smile to help reassure her. “I am honored that you came to check on me.”

Li blushed ever so slightly, turning her head so that it wasn’t quite as obvious. “You performed very well. I pray that your wound heals quickly.”

“Thank you, my Empress. I do as well.”

Sen bowed her head again and watched as Li made her way back to Garro and her advisors. She gave one quick look over her shoulder as they escorted her away, a tiny grin pressed across her lips that caused Sen’s heart to flutter.

* * *

An even ten ended up making it to the trial of strength. Sen’s hand had healed significantly by then, though it was still somewhat tender. She was able to hold a sword steady enough, even if it did cause her some discomfort. When she was about to leave her quarters, however, she was approached by Eron unexpectedly.

“How’s your hand, Sen?” he asked.

“Better. I don’t think it will interfere with my abilities at all.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Eron gave a satisfied smile and a nod of his head. “You won’t be partaking in the duels today, however. You’ve been postponed until tomorrow.”

“I don’t understand.”

“It was my decision. I want to make sure you have as much time to heal as possible. The trial of strength is where things get very messy and very real. You’re showing great potential and the Empress seems to like you so I do not want to risk sending you out today. It means you will have some stiff competition tomorrow, but you will also be much stronger. Consider it a day off. If you know what one of those are.”

“Not particularly, but I do appreciate the concern. My hand is fine though, really.”

Eron shook his head. “The matter has already been settled. Don’t worry, it’s not a bad thing. You’re welcome to watch the others if you like. It’s a good opportunity to spot weaknesses in your opponents.” Eron was about to excuse himself when he seemed to remember something. “Oh, and I believe the Empress requested a meeting with you for tonight once the trials conclude for the day.”

Sen was a bit surprised to discover that. “Is that normal for an Empress to request before the trials have completed?”

“An Empress does as she wishes. Nothing is out of the ordinary.”

“Understood. I will meet with her.”

“Good.” Eron nodded once more and went on his way, motioning for some of the other recruits to get a move on.

After a brief moment of mild confusion, Sen eventually left her quarters and started making her way to the trial grounds. She found a secluded spot in the shade to watch the duels, wanting to remain somewhat inconspicuous. There were a few others doing the same, including Jo Xhir. She spotted him leaning against a tree, arms crossed and expression rather focused ahead. She wandered over to him, asking if he had been postponed until tomorrow as well.

“Sure have.” He said. “Guess that means we’ll very likely have to go against one another. Which is a shame... considering you’re a lot better than me.” He looked over at Sen with a playful expression on his face. “I’m just kidding. Well, about the going against one another thing. You are a better fighter than me. But it seems Empress Vyk has an interest in us both. Eron will likely keep us seperated so she can make her own decision when the time comes.”

“So that’s how all of this really works.” Sen remarked.

“Isn’t that how it always is? There’s always a “behind the scenes”, so to speak. But it doesn’t really surprise me, if you think about it. The Empress will want some say in who follows her around night and day. Although I’m not sure why she’s shown an interest in me, given the fact that she requested as many women recruits as possible. Northwater only sent me because the others were too young.”

“I do remember hearing about that odd request.”  
Jo shrugged. “Past monarchs have requested much stranger things. Most emperors request men, most empresses request women. It’s not that odd. Still, I’m surprised that she’s making an exception.”

“Are we the only two she’s interested in?”

Jo shook his head. “I don’t think so. Pretty sure everyone that’s not participating today has caught her interest in one way or another. She’s giving us the opportunity to evaluate our competition.”

“I guess we better pay close attention then.” Sen remarked.

“How’s your hand by the way? Risky move grabbing the blade like that.”

“Yeah, everyone keeps saying that. It’s healing just fine.”

Jo gave a nod of his head and went back to observing the scene in front of them, his eyes eventually drifting upwards to the balcony. Li had arrived just on time, wearing her hair down today with another heavy black and silver tunic, this one cut a bit lower around the neckline to show off a shining pendant of some kind.

“She’s really very beautiful.” Jo remarked. “But not really my type.”

Sen looked over at the man beside her. “Oh?”

“Well, I don’t really like women all that much, so there’s that. But even if I did, I think I’d go for someone older and more... frilly.”

Sen couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at that, trying her best not to be heard. Jo just laughed with her, apparently unconcerned with sharing how he felt about anything and everything.

“I’m trying my best not to think like that at all.” Sen commented.

“Oh, so she’s your type?” Jo leaned forward a bit with interest.

“I… did not say that at all.”

“I think you did.”

Sen simply shook her head. “Whatever you say.”

“I really do hope we both make it out of this, Sen Ri. In one way or another. I think we’d make pretty good friends.”

Sen wasn’t exactly sure what to say in response to that, but at that point it didn’t really matter. The sound of metal on metal pulled their attention away from each other rather suddenly and they stepped forward to get a better look at the duels that had just begun.

Watching two people fight with live steel left Sen feeling rather on edge. Every attack had to be calculated carefully, every wrong move a likely defeat or a possible death sentence. Each and every one of them were highly skilled warriors with years of training under their belt, many of the lesser hopefuls already out of the way. The two fighting at that moment appeared very focused and calm, but it was clear as the duel went on, more and more emotions began to surface. Sen carefully watched how they positioned themselves and how they initiated their attacks. Jo did the same, both of them making as many mental notes as they could possibly remember.

The first duel ended rather bloody with the winner’s sword having found a sweet spot between the other’s armor. She would live but the wound would need attention immediately.

There were a total of five duels that day, the others lasting significantly longer than the first. Most ended up yielding, while the rest attempted to claw their way back to victory, only to be dragged away lifeless afterwards. By the end of the day, the ground was thoroughly stained with blood.  
Jo respectfully excused himself once the trials were finished for the day, making a comment about skipping supper that night and going straight to bed. Sen would have liked to do the same, the afternoon sun having worn her out, but she still had her meeting with the Empress. She wondered where she was supposed to meet her, until she was approached by one of her advisors.

“Sen Ri, yes?” the man asked, securing his buckled robe after having been sitting for most of the day. “I trust Eron Prel informed you that the Empress would like to meet with you this evening?”

“He did, yes.”

“Very good. She is making her way back to the magistrate’s home now, but I will escort you there shortly if that’s alright. I must speak with Kalo for one moment and then we can depart.”

“Of course.”

Ryn gave a nod of his head and excused himself to speak with Kalo. Their conversation did not last very long, however, and he returned promptly to lead the way to the magistrate’s home on the other side of the city. Sen hadn’t actually seen much of the city during her time there, though she was greatly impressed with how much it had improved since she first arrived, as brief as her walkthrough had been.

Once they reached the magistrate’s home, Sen was suddenly filled with a strange sense of nervousness. She had only shared brief moments with the Empress thus far and wasn’t sure what to expect from a meeting with her. Would her advisors be there with her? She assumed so, assuming her Eit Kro would be nearby as well. So perhaps she had nothing to be worried about. Regardless, questions continued to pop in and out of her mind until she was in the same room as the Empress and her Eit Kro and no one else. Once Sen entered the room, however, Li promptly asked Garro to leave, which he did without question.

Thankfully the room did not feel intimidating whatsoever. Rich ivy clung to the stone walls, dozens of potted ferns scattered about. There were two cozy looking chairs as well as a long couch with a few broken in throw pillows. Li motioned for Sen to take a seat anywhere before she poured herself a small glass of some kind of clear liquor. Sen decided to keep a respectful distance and took a seat in one of the chairs nearby.

“Would you like any?” Li offered Sen a small glass of whatever she was drinking. Sen knew better than to refuse whatever the Empress was offering her and accepted, a bit surprised when Li got up to hand her the small glass rather than the other way around. “It’s nothing strong, don’t worry. I’m fairly certain Ela has hidden all of the good stuff from me. Or perhaps the magistrate doesn’t drink much.”

Sen took a small sip from the glass, the liquor rather smooth and citrusy. She had never had anything like it and took another curious sip.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I requested a meeting with you anyway.” Li began, setting her glass down on the table in front of her. She was still wearing her black and silver tunic from earlier, her hair pulled to one side now to reveal a few silver earrings to match. “You’ve been performing fairly well in the trials so far and you scored exceptionally well on your preliminary exams as well. I believe you scored the highest actually. Ever since I read your name, I’ve been dying to have a moment alone with you.”

“I appreciate the recognition, Eit Vyk, truly.” Sen remarked. “I’m very honored that you’ve taken an interest in me.”

Li quickly took another small sip of her drink, almost as if to ease her nerves. “You’re a bit younger than the other hopefuls, aren’t you?”

“I believe I am, yes. My mentor wanted to train me for another five years at least, but, well, as you can see, there wasn’t exactly time to continue my training.”

“When did you start your training?”  
“Officially? At age nine.”

Li looked a bit surprised at her answer. “That young? Did you have a sword in your hand at that age?” She chuckled softly at the thought.

Sen grinned a bit. “Not exactly. I started with etiquette lessons and watching others. I believe I was eleven or so when my mentor finally put a training sword in my hand. It’s been almost nonstop since then. I’ve known nothing else.”

“Your sword caught my attention when I first met you. The name as well. Vysul’mon.”

“I named it, but my father forged it. He’s one of the best blacksmiths in Kipa.”

“It’s a remarkable looking sword. I was immediately enamored with it. The crescent moon on the hilt… you’re a worshipper of Alto?” Li leaned back slightly, attempting to make herself more comfortable, though she appeared slightly annoyed with the throw pillows around her.

“I understand it's a rare thing to find, but yes, I am. I mediate to the Entity whenever I can. I worship Vai Kro as well, of course.”

“That’s certainly good to know.”

“I was a bit surprised that you recognized the name Vysul’mon.” Sen admitted. “Many aren’t familiar with Alto’s deities, especially the lesser known ones.”

“I don’t always know the full story behind Their deities, but certain names have stuck with me from my studies. I think I became intrigued with Alto after seeing their name mentioned so often by Vai Kro. They’re a bit of an enigma, though. In a pleasant sort of way. Maybe you’ll have to teach me more about them someday.”

Li gave a sort of coy, teasing smile and reached forward to finish the contents of her glass before setting it aside and turning to face Sen a bit better.

“I have an important question to ask you, though, Sen Ri. Why do you want to serve me?”

The question caught Sen a little off guard and not even because of where their previous conversation had been going. She had simply not been expecting to ever be asked that sort of question, especially so bluntly.

Li could tell Sen was a bit perplexed with what to say and attempted to ease into it better. “Let me put it this way... why did you decide to train to become Eit Kro, a position extremely rare and sought after, at such a young age? Was it something your parents wanted?”

Sen shook her head. “It did not start out like that. It started as etiquette lessons mainly and a strong interest in hitting things with swords. I suppose my mentor saw something special in me and decided I would be a good fit for something like that. Though eventually I did wonder if it was a realistic goal to work towards. I guess it has been.”

“So what motivates you now?” Li asked. “Is it simply because you've invested so much of your life into it at this point? Is it for the honor of such a position? There's no real wrong answer, I've just been curious to find out.”

Sen thought deeply about it for a moment. She had a lot of reasons to want the position, but she tried to pinpoint the biggest. Even if Li insisted there wasn't a “wrong answer” to give, there always was, though Sen eventually opted for honesty rather than making herself look good.

“I used to see the position very differently, if I’m being honest.” Sen began. “I used to see it as simply ‘protecting the ruler of the Empire' in a very faceless sort of way. After all, I did not grow up in the capital seeing the Empress every day, putting a face to the name, observing her quirks and mannerisms. To me it was still this abstract concept, even if I knew it was an extremely honorable position. It never clicked beyond superficial duty. But now that I’m able to sit face to face with the person I would be swearing my life to protect, it feels far more personal.

I can see that you’re a young woman that’s been thrust into chaos, much like I have. You’re someone that cares about the people around her, even those you do not know yet. I see someone that is vulnerable and unsure, but also incredibly determined and passionate. I want to serve you because I respect the person I see in front of me. And I want to do everything in my power to keep the many dangerous shadows swirling around you at bay.”

Sen could tell Li was rather taken a back and for a moment wondered if she had come off entirely too strong, even if what she said was true. But then she could see a glint deep in her eyes as if there were tears threatening to break free. There was a long silence between them as Sen waited for her to respond, sensing that she would eventually once she managed to control whatever emotions were racing through her.

Li tilted her head back ever so slightly and averted her gaze for a moment. After a calm exhale she looked back at Sen and gave her the faintest smile.

“You certainly are as eloquent with your words as you are with a sword.” She said, rather enamored. “You’ve been very honest with me tonight, Sen Ri, so I must be just the same with you.” Li paused to take another deep breath. “I have not been able to look at my mother’s Eit Kro since her death without thinking about her and how he failed to protect her. I shouldn’t blame him, but I do. I think he blames himself as well. My mother was not just the Empress, she was… she was my _mother._ She told me bedtime stories and spent afternoons with me in the garden pointing out all of her favorite flowers to me. Even as I got older and started acting out and challenging her authority, as teenagers do, I still went to her every night, even if she was sound asleep to tell her that I loved her. I loved her so much. And now she’s gone. Ripped away from me and I do not even know who to rightfully blame for it. Maybe it was my bastardly father, maybe it was Absuria. I have this feeling that I will never know for sure, that it will all just fade away over time and I will never have any real sense of closure. All I know is that I cannot stand to look at the man that was sworn to protect her for another second. So if you need to kill every single one of them to become my Eit Kro, you do so with my blessing. Because I can see it deep in your eyes that you will not fail me like he failed my mother.”

Sen could feel a mix of emotions rising in her chest as she listened to what Li was telling her. Once she was sure she was finished, Sen rose without a word or ounce of hesitation and unsheathed Vysul’mon, pressing the tip of the blade straight against the stone floor as she knelt before her Empress.

“Iuos sej’vaehlla, Eit Vyk.”

_I swear eternally I am yours._


End file.
